


When All Is Said And Done

by SocialDegenerate



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Blow Jobs, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Masturbation, Spoilers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-12 01:46:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9050269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SocialDegenerate/pseuds/SocialDegenerate
Summary: Ignis has a crush- just a little one, of course. He’s not going to let it affect their work as a cohesive unit during their trip to Altissia. No, definitely not.

  
    But if there was another reason why Ignis was so determined to spectate Noctis’ training, well, that was his own business. Nobody needed to know how much he enjoyed watching Gladiolus fight, his imposing height and strong muscles drawing Ignis’ attention even on the days where Gladiolus deigned to wear a proper shirt.





	1. It's Poetry In Motion

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is going to follow the plotline of the game and will therefore feature _**major spoilers**_ in later chapters. Chapter 1 is safe, as it's set pre-game, but after that all bets are off. Tags will be updated as the fic goes on. The minor relationships are Noctis/Lunafreya and Noctis/Prompto.
> 
> Let me know what you think!

Ignis knew that Noctis was going to complain, to whine that he _wasn’t a child_ and _didn’t need a babysitter,_ but he also knew that it would be worth it. It was rare for Ignis to not be swamped with work during one of Noctis’ training sessions, and with a valid excuse in hand, there was no way that he was going to miss this one.

He had a vested interest in the progression of the prince’s strength, of course he did; it was important for the future of the kingdom that their ruling family commanded strength and poise through times of both peace and crisis. Noctis might not like waking up sore and covered in bruises, but it was a necessary evil, and one which Ignis refused to let him skip out on.

But if there was _another_ reason why Ignis was so determined to spectate Noctis’ training, well, that was his own business. Nobody needed to know how much he enjoyed watching Gladiolus fight, his imposing height and strong muscles drawing Ignis’ attention even on the days where Gladiolus deigned to wear a proper shirt.

Of course, it was little more than a passing fancy, or so Ignis resolutely told himself. Two men in such close service to the royal family were not given the luxury of pursuing personal lives, and so he would take his meaningless moments where he could and then leave it alone. A little thinking here, a little watching there; it was all that he needed.

In time, Ignis knew he would move on. It was really just a matter of when.

Entering the training room hidden away in the Royal Citadel, Ignis announced his arrival, not altogether surprised when neither of the previous occupants responded right away. Noctis was struggling, his knees looking like they were about to buckle as he attempted to use his sword to hold off the pressure with which Gladiolus’ own sword was bearing down on him; for his part, Gladiolus seemed to be very obviously holding back.

He barely seemed to be trying as he looked over at Ignis, his assault on Noctis not weakening even as he grinned and nodded in greeting.

“Yo,” Gladiolus called, still not looking back at Noctis as he increased the pressure and sent the prince to his knees. Apparently satisfied, he swung his massive sword back until it was sitting on his shoulder, reaching down with his free hand to lift Noctis back to his feet by the front of his shirt.

“Are we done yet?” Noctis groaned, his shoulders slumping tiredly when Gladiolus just laughed. Ignis could see his hands shaking as he lifted his sword again, and Ignis couldn't help but grimace as Gladiolus went for him again. Noctis was never going to win, but he didn't have to; there was no point if the prince was stronger than his main guard.

In a matter of seconds, Noctis was back on the ground, and Ignis fiddled with his glasses as Gladiolus tipped his head back and laughed again, planting a hand on his hip. “You’re finished. No point in hurting you.”

“ _Thanks_ ,” Noctis said, the word dripping with sarcasm. Ignis fished a towel from his bag and held it out as Noctis limped towards him, struggling to keep a straight face at Noctis’ sulky behaviour when it was snatched from his hand. He didn’t like encouraging the prince’s moods, but he figured that he could let Noctis off the hook, just this once; his pride was probably as sore as his body.

Gladiolus watched as Noctis left the training room and headed into the showers, but his attention snapped back to Ignis as soon as the door was shut behind Noctis. An easy smile on his face, he lay down his massive sword and sauntered towards Ignis, lifting the bottom of his singlet to wipe the sweat from his face as he went.

Ignis blinked dumbly at the borderline-obscenely tight, toned abdominals exposed right in front of him, barely managing to build a neutral expression before Gladiolus dropped his shirt and could see again. Coming to a stop right in front of Ignis, Gladiolus shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants, slouching a little but still forcing Ignis to look way up at him.

“Come to make sure we’re not just dicking around?” Gladiolus grinned, full of teeth and his eyes crinkling a little, and Ignis cleared his throat and looked away. It was easier to keep a detached attitude while Gladiolus was messy and stinking of sweat, but he still had his limits.

“I just need to ensure that His Highness is taking his lessons seriously,” Ignis said, keeping his voice flat and steady. Gladiolus seemed a little put off by his attitude, and that was a _good thing_ , Ignis told himself. “It won’t do for him to be out of sync with his Shield.”

“We’re gettin’ there,” Gladiolus said easily, shifting his weight. “What about you?”

“...I don’t understand,” Ignis said, frowning.

“Hear you’re pretty handy with a blade,” Gladiolus explained, quirking an eyebrow. “How in sync are _you_ with His Highness?”

“I doubt it will ever come to that,” Ignis said as he folded his arms across his chest. “Not if you perform your own duties properly.”

Gladiolus’ expression turned challenging, and Ignis narrowed his eyes. “Well, I guess if you’re not strong enough to keep up with a spoiled kid, I’ll pick up your slack.”

He was being baited and he knew it, but Ignis barely held back a scowl as he stared up at Gladiolus. He usually had more self-control, but Gladiolus made him lose it, and he wouldn’t have some musclebound idiot disrespecting him.

Not even a handsome one.

Placing his bag down, Ignis began to unbutton and remove his waistcoat, neatly folding it and laying it on top of his bag. Flicking open the top button of his shirt, he rolled up his sleeves, brushing past Gladiolus as he headed for the collection of training weapons. His outfit wasn’t exactly _optimal_ for fighting, but he was confident that he could be fast enough in dress shoes to dodge Gladiolus’ slow greatsword swings.

Taking a double-ended polearm from the arsenal, Ignis put on a show of weighing it and then twirling it in front of him. Satisfied, he rested one end on the ground and looked expectantly over at Gladiolus. “Well?”

“ _Now_ we’re talking,” Gladiolus laughed, walking over to his discarded sword. He lifted the heavy weapon with an ease that had Ignis wondering if he was about to make a _horrible_ mistake; but it was too late to walk back the challenge now, and Ignis took his place in front of Gladiolus.

“Five points, tap out rules, no aiming for the face, and nothing dirty,” Gladiolus announced, Ignis nodding in agreement as he shifted his grip a little. “Let’s do this.”

Gladiolus’ first swing seemed intentionally slow, Ignis scoffing as he easily dodged and jabbed the end of his staff into Gladiolus’ broad chest. “Point.”

“Figured I’d give you one for free,” Gladiolus grinned, cracking his neck from side to side and settling back into position.

“Don’t bother,” Ignis said in disgust, taking a sweeping swing at Gladiolus’ knees and hoping he’d be too distracted to react in time. He had to admit that he was impressed by the easy jump that Gladiolus made over the staff, considering the sheer size of the man; but there was a sword coming for his own side, and he couldn’t dwell on it as he darted back to avoid the swing.

Gladiolus didn’t let up for a second, apparently anticipating that Ignis would easily dodge, and Ignis found himself being forced into a defensive corner as Gladiolus’ heavy hits kept coming. One eventually took his arm, the hit lightly glancing off only due to Gladiolus’ impeccable control of his heavy greatsword, and Gladiolus grinned. “Point.”

Pushing his glasses up, Ignis was determined to stay on the offensive for the next round, but despite his best efforts Gladiolus easily collected the next two points. His lighter weapon was a disadvantage against a greatsword: too hard to defend with, too easy to defend against. Thanking his own foresight, Ignis darted back when Gladiolus took the first swing of the next round, pulling one hand from his weapon and grabbing for the training knife hidden in the back waistband of his pants.

Tossing it into the air before Gladiolus could realise what he was doing, Ignis kicked at the base of the knife, forcing Gladiolus to lift his sword and deflect the projectile that was heading for his chest. Taking advantage of the split-second opening, Ignis ran forward, making Gladiolus grunt in surprise as the end of the polearm jabbed into his stomach.

“Point,” Ignis said, sounding more smug than he’d intended as he flipped his weapon back upright and used the end to adjust his glasses.

Gladiolus let out a low whistle, rubbing absently at the spot where Ignis had connected. “Who knew Specs was gonna have _tricks_? Impressive.”

Picking up the knife that was on the ground near his feet, Gladiolus tossed it towards Ignis, who snatched it from the air and returned it to his waistband. He could feel sweat beginning to soak into his shirt, and he cursed himself for not planning better and bringing a spare; not everyone was as willing to walk around shirtless as Gladiolus, after all.

Before he could worry too much about his appearance, Gladiolus was coming for him again, and Ignis took off to the side, intending to duck around Gladiolus and attack him from behind.

However, before he could take more than two steps, his shoes skidded against something wet on the floor. In proper training attire, that wouldn’t have been a problem, but his dress shoes weren’t designed for grip and Ignis felt his feet go out from underneath him. Squeezing his eyes shut and bracing for impact, Ignis could only hope that he wouldn’t land too heavily on the knives tucked against his back. They weren’t sharp, but they could have been enough to knock something out of alignment.

“Whoa there,” Gladiolus said, dropping his sword with a heavy _thud_ and swooping forward to wrap a strong arm around Ignis’ back. Suspended in mid air, Ignis cracked his eyes open to see Gladiolus _far_ too close to his face, and he froze up as adrenaline and exertion made his heart pound in his chest.

His glasses had become dislodged at some point, but his eyes were good enough to see the hesitant consideration splashed across Gladiolus’ face, and Ignis suddenly realised that one of his hands was clutching at Gladiolus’ bare, sweaty bicep.

Swallowing hard, Ignis waited to see what Gladiolus was going to do. Why hadn’t he returned Ignis to his feet yet? Surely Ignis was just reading into things wrong…

“You okay?” Gladiolus asked in a low voice, but before Ignis could reply, the sound of a throat clearing broke the strange tension between them.

Ignis felt oddly guilty as he looked across at Noctis, who was watching them with a weird expression. Suddenly aware of what their position must have looked like, what with him practically being dipped by Gladiolus, Ignis scrambled to get his feet back on solid ground, pushing away from Gladiolus’ grip once he was certain that he had his footing back.

“Prompto’s going to be at the apartment soon,” Noctis said, oddly emotionless. Pushing his glasses back into place, Ignis shoved the polearm he was somehow still holding into Gladiolus’ chest, barely waiting for him to grab it before letting go.

“We should hurry back, then.” Trying to ignore how sweaty, gross and _confused_ he felt, Ignis folded his waistcoat over his arm and grabbed his bag.

“Oi, Specs.” Halfway through ushering Noctis out of the door, Ignis faltered and glanced over his shoulder. Gladiolus had picked up his greatsword and had it planted into the floor, leaning some of his weight against it. “Come train with His Highness sometimes. You’re good, but you could be better.”

Clearing his throat as unwelcome heat prickled at his neck, Ignis didn’t reply, instead choosing to just continue herding Noctis towards the car. As he opened the car door for Noctis, the prince stopped before getting in, turning back to look at Ignis.

“What was all that about?”

“Never mind,” Ignis said, feeling a little like he was going to throw up, and he was saved from further questioning by the _ping_ of Noctis’ phone.

The ride back to the apartment was quiet, and Ignis focused intently on the road so that his thoughts had no time to wander.

* * *

As time passed, Ignis couldn’t say for sure whether his _fascination_ with Gladio had weakened as he had predicted; the invitation to join in with Noctis’ training had led to both group sessions with Prompto as well, and one-on-ones between just the two of them as the weeks ticked by. Now that he spent more time with Gladio, he found it easier to control himself around the other man, but that didn’t mean that his imagination didn’t still sometimes get away from him.

Indeed, when Gladio had taken him out for his twentieth birthday, he had worried that he’d said something incriminating after a few too many drinks, but Gladio had just laughed as he’d told Ignis that the blanks in his memory had been filled with complaining about the prince. After that, Ignis had been careful to never drink _too_ much whenever he took up Gladio’s invitations to go out, citing a need for _one_ of them to remain in control should an emergency occur with their royal charge.

Sometimes during long training sessions together, or nights in a quiet bar, or the times when Ignis cooked dinner at Noctis’ apartment for the four of them, Ignis would feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and look around to see Gladio watching him, his gaze heavy and knowing. Within a moment, though, Gladio’s eyes would be back on his sword, or his drink, or his book, and Ignic could only wonder if he’d imagined the whole thing while taking the chance to drink in the sight of Gladio.

_Wishful thinking_ , he told himself over and over again. Gladio flirted easily with the women who approached them in the bar, where Ignis remained quiet to avoid embarrassment or accidentally revealing himself. He’d never seen Gladio go through with anything more than a few teasing comments, but Ignis knew the statistics, and they were against him.

It certainly didn’t help that he had his suspicions about Noctis and Prompto, either. He wasn’t sure if they had ever actually gotten anywhere, but they certainly seemed to be on their way; and it certainly wasn’t unusual for a betrothed royal to keep a less official lover.

Ignis really just wished them the best, though. It wouldn’t be easy, but if they were willing to work for it, then he hoped that they could find all the happiness in the world. Prompto wasn’t trapped by his duty in the same way that Ignis and Gladio were, more free to chase personal attachments; and although Noctis was bound to Lady Lunafreya and Lucis, he was free to give what little he had left to whomever he chose.

And so, Ignis had resigned himself to stealing little moments where he could, but never truly acting on desires that had turned out to be a little less fleeting than he had hoped. Once Noctis became king, something that would likely happen sooner rather than later in light of King Regis’ alarmingly deteriorated state, Ignis knew that he wouldn’t have time to worry about such trifles as his already-diminished personal life. He just had to hold out until then, and he was secure in the knowledge that his willpower was growing stronger by the day, even as he and Gladio became closer friends than ever. As long as he could take time for himself to wind down and be alone with his roiling thoughts, Ignis decided that he was going to be okay.

And then Noctis informed them that they would be travelling to Altissia, leaving the four of them confined to the space inside the Regalia for however long the journey took.

If it was some kind of cruel cosmic joke, Ignis wasn’t laughing.


	2. Beach Episode

Ignis was, without a doubt, beginning to feel a little on edge.

They’d only been driving for two days and his patience was beginning to fray. Noctis was sulking about not being allowed to drive, Prompto refused to shut his mouth for longer than a few minutes at a time- mostly about Cindy, like he lust-struck little menace he was- and whenever he looked in the rearview mirror, all he could see was Gladio.

Gladio reading, Gladio napping, Gladio laughing as he talked to the others, Gladio stretching out his cramped arms and back.

When they stumbled out of the car at Galdin Quay, it was only his exhaustion that kept Ignis from sprinting off down the beach and away from the others in a thoroughly undignified display. He just needed _space_ , at least for a few minutes. But now that they were getting onto the ferry to Altissia, he could escape for a moment or two without being stuck behind the wheel.

Of course, nothing would ever be that easy.

_Naturally_ , the boats were stopped for some nebulous reason that Ignis hadn’t been able to get anyone to fully explain. _Naturally_ , some nosy reporter immediately realised who Noctis was and set about blackmailing them. _Naturally_ , they had to get back in the car and run pointless errands for said nosy reporter. And, perhaps most irritatingly of all, _naturally_ they had to stand around for hours while Noctis tried to catch fish to feed a goddamned _cat_.

By the time the sun went down, Ignis was twitchy and irritated, although he was trying his best to hide it. He was tired, his head was pounding, and he’d possibly had a touch too much caffeine; but if he let the others see him fall apart this soon into their journey, he knew that he would never live it down.

At least Noctis had managed to catch some extra fish, and their small campfire was more than enough for Ignis to cook up a decent meal. Cooking took his mind off everything else, even while he could hear Gladio taunting and teasing Noctis and Prompto behind him. Someone else to cook for them and a proper bed were what Ignis _really_ wanted, but at least they’d found a safe place to camp.

Lucian money was beyond worthless in the Empire’s territory, part of a concerted effort to freeze out the last remaining strongholds and bring them to their knees for easy takeover; so the hotel at the Quay was far beyond their reach, considering how much of their gil had been sunk into repairing the Regalia. At least camping and fishing were free, although Ignis wasn’t looking forward to spending a night shoved into a tent with three other grown men.

“Dinner,” Ignis called, and the scuffling he could hear behind him stopped as Prompto cheered.

“Do you _ever_ shut up?” Gladio asked and despite everything, Ignis found himself ducking his head to hide a smile.

“Rude,” Prompto said sulkily. Even though Prompto was behind him, Ignis could perfectly imagine the pout that would have been on his face, and he felt a flash of fondness as Prompto carelessly draped himself over his shoulder and back.

It wasn’t their fault that Ignis was feeling testy, and he reiterated his personal goal to not let any of them see it or take his mood out on them. So he let Prompto hang off him for a few more moments, before gently shrugging him off and dropping a plate in his hands. “You’re all serving yourselves. I’m not your servant.”

“Well, _technically_ ,” Noctis began, trailing off and reconsidering when Ignis turned around and raised his eyebrows.

“If you’re not quick, Gladio will take it all,” Ignis said lightly, turning around to hide another smile. Content to wait until the others were done, he busied himself with tidying up, only to jolt a little when a full plate was suddenly shoved in front of him.

“Here,” Gladio said, a little brusquely. “Fought His Highness for the good bits.”

Blinking dumbly, Ignis robotically took the plate, looking down at it and then over at the pouting prince.

“Thank you?” He said uncertainly, making Gladio laugh loudly in the quiet night.

He nearly lost hold of the plate when Gladio hit him across the back, an aggressively friendly gesture that Ignis didn’t think he’d ever _really_ get used to. “You’re welcome, Specs. Go eat, we’ll clean later.”

Ignis had to admit that he felt a lot better after sitting down and eating his fill. As expected from Gladio, his plate had been piled too high for him to actually finish, and so he’d offered the untouched parts to Noctis only to have Gladio swoop in and claim the plate before he could hand it over. The prince looked a little wounded, but all Ignis could do was shrug, even as Gladio tugged Noctis into a headlock with the arm that was holding the plate and continued to eat.

The noise levels of his companions weren’t as grating as they had been earlier, even after Prompto joined the scuffle in a largely futile attempt to team up and overpower Gladio, but Ignis still felt a little suffocated. The water was close enough to the campsite that he could smell salt in the air and the threat of daemons had sent most people inside, so the beach seemed quiet and peaceful; a much more enticing prospect than watching his friends wrestle.

Quietly explaining that he was taking a short walk, Ignis slipped away before anyone could invite themselves along, only relaxing once the light and smoke from the campfire was fading into the distance. The air was fresh out in the open, completely different to the stuffy atmosphere of Insomnia, and Ignis breathed deeply to help push his tension away, his shoulders relaxing. Without worrying about the state of his clothes, he settled down on a clean patch of sand and let his thoughts wander freely.

He probably should have been paying better attention to the time, but it was impossible for him to gauge its flow in the still, dark night. He didn’t know how long had passed when he heard quiet humming, making him sit up straight and look around to spot a single figure in the distance.

Assuming that it was just another visitor to the Quay taking a nighttime stroll, Ignis ignored them in favour of staring out over the water. He wasn’t interested in making small talk with stranded tourists, and he barely stifled a groan when the humming stopped and a male voice let out a surprised noise.

“Well, if it isn’t one of the prince’s lackeys.”

Stiffening, Ignis turned to see the nosy reporter looking at him, his head tilted in consideration.

“Good evening,” Ignis said with a short nod before looking back over the water in obvious dismissal. He was nothing but polite, of course, but he certainly didn’t have to be welcoming. He dealt with enough reporters in Insomnia to know never to give them a single opportunity, unless the rewards would outweigh the costs.

He had a feeling that Dino’s rewards wouldn’t even come close to breaking even.

“So cold,” Dino said, and Ignis’ headache made a sudden reappearance when the reporter sat down beside him. From the smell of him, he’d been drinking, and Ignis supposed that explained why he seemed to sit a little too close.

“Hey,” Dino tried again once the silence began to stretch. When Ignis didn’t reply, he used his knee to nudge Ignis’ thigh, gaining him little more than an unimpressed look. “C’mon, just answer a couple of questions.”

“We’re not doing press,” Ignis said in his best ‘no comment’ voice. “You can contact the appropriate channels if you want an interview.”

“Off the record?” Dino tried, and the only reasons why Ignis hadn’t left were the fact that he didn’t want to go too far from the campsite, and the fact that he certainly didn’t want to lead Dino right back to Noctis.

“Nothing is ever _truly_ off the record with a reporter,” Ignis replied coldly. Dino grinned cheekily, leaning in closer to Ignis until Ignis pulled back.

“It is when I’m naked...well, mostly.” Ignis’ face screwed up with distaste as Dino winked at him, pointedly settling a hand on Ignis’ thigh.

Hitting it away with more force than necessary but less than he wanted, Ignis snapped, “Don’t touch me.”

Maiming a reporter would be a _very_ bad look, but the limits of Ignis’ patience and tolerance were being severely strained. Thankfully, though, before he could make a career-ending decision, Dino was being pulled up and away from him with a painfully strangled sound. For a second, Ignis feared a potential daemon attack and _why hadn’t he been paying attention_ , but his heart calmed when he noticed the tattooed arm hauling Dino to his feet.

“Get lost,” Gladio growled, shoving Dino in the back and forcing him to stumble away as he tried to find his feet. Even drunk, he apparently decided it wasn’t worth the fight, weaving his way back down the beach and towards the lights of the Quay. Ignis looked up, up, up at Gladio standing over him, Gladio’s withering glare turning into a brief smile before he dropped himself to the sand with a heavy _thump_.

“Whatcha doing?” Gladio asked easily, as if he hadn’t just thrown Dino halfway down the beach. The sheer dissonance forced a surprised laugh out of Ignis, and from the look on Gladio’s face, that had been the intention all along.

“I told you,” Ignis said, “I was going for a walk.”

“That was an hour and a half ago,” Gladio said, his frown returning. “I thought there’d been an attack, and not just one by a weirdo reporter.”

“Daemons would have perhaps been preferable,” Ignis sighed, idly brushing sand from his knee. Shooting Gladio a sideways glance, he saw that the man had turned to look out at the water, and he let his eyes linger perhaps a little longer than he should have. When Gladio suddenly turned back to him, Ignis jerked his gaze away, feeling embarrassed at the thought that he might have been caught.

“S’nice out here,” Gladio said after a long moment, shifting his long legs and accidentally brushing against Ignis. “Quiet without our kids yellin’ in my ear.”

“Our...kids?”

Gladio laughed. “The two weirdos back at the campsite. Our kids.”

“You cannot call Crown Prince Noctis a _weirdo_ ,” Ignis spluttered, because _what else could he say?_ His heart was beating uncomfortably fast, and at a loss for what to do with his hands, he adjusted his glasses once, and then again.

“Like I haven’t called him worse things,” Gladio snorted, flicking a little sand at Ignis. Startling upright, Ignis stared down at the sand on his shirt and then across at Gladio, slowly and deliberately brushing away what he could. Gladio grinned at him, all teeth and mischief, and Ignis shook his head.

“You absolute _ass_ ,” Ignis snapped, and Gladio actually looked worried for a moment- until a handful of sand sprayed across his face, leaving him spluttering to get it out of his mouth. Taking advantage of the distraction, Ignis was up on his feet in a moment, the easy atmosphere between he and Gladio drawing out a playfulness he rarely indulged in.

It wouldn’t do to have His Highness see him like this, but if he wasn’t around to see…

Ignis had barely put any distance between them before he heard Gladio growl, his longer and faster stride letting him easily catch up to Ignis. A strong arm grabbing him around the waist had Ignis slapping a hand over his mouth, holding back whatever embarrassing noises were threatening to escape, and he squirmed as Gladio wrapped his other arm around him and lifted him off the ground.

He was _six feet tall_ , and Gladio was holding him up like a child. It was beyond ridiculous and undignified, but Ignis could only focus on Gladio’s ridiculous strength.

“Gotcha,” Gladio grumbled, and his mouth was so close to Ignis’ ear that it sent shivers down his spine. “I thought you were more mature than the other two, but I guess I was wrong.”

“How _dare_ you,” Ignis tried to say in a stern tone, but his voice came out breathless. Gladio’s arms tightened around him, and Ignis swallowed hard as he was lowered back to the ground. The arms around his waist disappeared, but then Gladio’s hands were on his hips, encouraging him to turn around.

They were too close, Ignis having to tip his head back to see Gladio’s face, and even with the cool ocean breeze slipping past them, Ignis felt overheated and a little lightheaded. This was so familiar, and Ignis’ mouth went dry. There was something odd in Gladio’s eyes, but just as it occurred to Ignis that maybe, just _maybe_ , he could have a little hope, a sound like the very fabric of existence being ripped apart screeched through the air.

“ _Fuck,_ not again,” Gladio swore so quietly that Ignis wasn’t sure what he’d actually said, and he used his grip on Ignis to drag him behind a nearby rock formation just beyond the sand. The charged atmosphere between them dissipated instantly as Ignis readjusted glasses that had been knocked askew in the rush for cover, peering past the rock as a giant daemon began to crawl out of the ground.

“Iron giant,” Ignis whispered, the daemon’s flaming sword lighting up the night. “Stay down.”

There was no way that the two of them could take it on without wasting the majority of their curatives, but if they stayed still and quiet there was a good chance that the creature would get bored and disappear.

“Anyone in sight?” Gladio whispered again. It wouldn’t do to have a civilian wander into the iron giant’s range, even a drunken asshole like Dino; but thankfully it seemed like the tourists were smart enough to stay inside at night. Gladio shifted to look over the rock beside Ignis, and as they watched, the Iron Giant began to pace back and forth, growling and snarling but otherwise making no move to attack anything.

After what felt like an eternity, the horrible screeching sound ripped through the air again, and the daemon disappeared. The light it put out lingered for a few moments before disappearing as well, and Gladio let out a sigh of relief and sagged against the rock. He loved a good fight, but even _he_ wasn’t stupid enough to try taking on an iron giant with just the two of them.

“Let’s return to camp,” Ignis said quietly, and that was the only thing said as they quickly walked back to their tent. If he’d been feeling relaxed and playful before, Ignis was now a tense wreck all over again, and he covered it by putting a stern glare on his face.

Gladio seemed like he wanted to say something, _anything_ , but Ignis ignored him. The moment, if there had even actually been one, was gone now and he just wanted to go to bed.

Somehow, Noctis and Prompto had managed to sleep through the disturbance, and Ignis didn’t even look at Gladio as he stepped into the tent and shed his clothes. Laying down, he tried to put himself as close to the wall of the tent as possible, ignoring the feeling of Gladio settling down beside him. There really wasn’t enough room to fit all four of them in the one tent, but they didn’t exactly have a choice.

Subjected to a night of ‘what ifs’ and ‘could Is’, Ignis didn’t sleep particularly well. His whole body ached as the sun began to rise and he left the tent, slowly putting things together to begin breakfast. He’d been through worse, though. He’d get the others up and fed, they’d board the ferry for Altissia, and Noctis could fulfil his duty as Crown Prince. Then, and only then, would he consider doing something about his own personal life.

It was the perfect plan.

So, of course, that was the day when everything went to hell.


	3. Private Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on this fic and canon: I've tried to stick with canon as much as possible, but I have forgotten a few minor things that don't really affect the story. If there's anything really glaring, let me know and I'll see whether it's worth fixing. I'm also not going to regurgitate large swaths of the game's plot, but I'll try to give each chapter a grounding in canon to explain when/where things are taking place, especially after large timeskips.

Insomnia had fallen, King Regis was dead, and Lady Lunafreya was missing.

The roads back to the city were blocked by the Empire, but at least with Cor’s help they had managed to prevent the army from cutting off Duscae. Their new task of helping Noctis to connect with his bloodline had turned a short trip into an indeterminate one, though, and they’d had to turn to hunting to gather enough gil for food and better weaponry and scummy motel rooms that had running showers.

It was selfish of him, but Ignis was a little glad for the distraction to take his mind off Gladio. It would have been wrong to worry about his own affairs while Noctis looked so haunted, and so Ignis focused all of his attention on helping the prince.

Still, he'd noticed that Gladio had been unusually subdued as well, only starting to smile again once he'd received word of his sister's safe passage to Lestallum. His impatience for them to keep moving towards Lestallum became more palpable as the days passed by, but Ignis had to agree with Noctis’ decision that they needed to make more money before moving forward.

It wouldn't do to run out of petrol or curatives while in the middle of nowhere, and not be able to buy more.

One morning, Ignis woke up in their tent to realise that Gladio was gone. He felt a brief moment of panic before sternly telling himself that Gladio had probably just gone for a run. Even if they had spent three days on hunts, there was no way that Gladio would have left them to make his own way to Lestallum...right?

Refusing to give in to the growing panic, Ignis quietly dressed and slipped out of the tent. He was a little later to wake up than usual, and in the light of the early morning he could see a figure standing on the bank of the river below their campground. The tattoos across his arms and back were more than enough for Ignis to identify him, and he sighed in relief.

Gathering together breakfast supplies, Ignis kept an eye on Gladio as he put a quick meal together, the leftovers from the previous night getting put to good use. He nearly burned the rice when Gladio removed his pants and waded into the water, even if he wasn't close enough to make out any details; sure, they were in the middle of nowhere, and it wasn't as if the tent came with a shower, but didn't he have any _shame_?

Realising that the food was quickly going to ruin, Ignis tore his eyes away from Gladio’s distant figure and forced himself to focus on saving the food. He wasn't exactly willing to answer questions about why their breakfast was burnt, and so he didn't let himself look up again.

“Morning,” a gruff voice eventually said, making Ignis jump. A quick glance up showed that Gladio was no longer on the bank of the river, but was rather standing beside the dead fire. He'd put his pants back on but had his shirt thrown casually over one shoulder, his hair wet against his neck and sending drops of water down his damp chest. Ignis felt like it was getting a little hard to breathe and so he forced out a polite greeting before turning back to the food.

Obviously still in a poor mood, Gladio didn't say anything else, instead just quietly gathering plates and cutlery together for Ignis.

“Thank you,” Ignis said, but there was no reply; instead, Gladio just disappeared into the tent, eventually reappearing in fresh clothes and with a very tired Noctis and Prompto trailing behind him. Taking pity on them, Ignis pushed full plates into their hands, watching as the younger two staggered over to their chairs and slumped over their food.

“Hopeless,” Gladio muttered as he followed them, shaking his head. Ignis couldn't quite tell if he was genuinely mad, but breakfast was a silent affair. By the end of the meal, though, Prompto was beginning to wake up, and Ignis braced himself for the end of the peace.

“So,” Prompto started, and Ignis watched as Gladio’s shoulders visibly stiffened, “What’re we doing today?”

Gladio glared at the dead fire, obviously waiting to hear about another day of hunting, and Ignis looked up to catch Noctis’ eye. He didn't want to be obvious, but they had a comfortable amount of gil and he didn't want Gladio to do something stupid like trying to go off on his own.

Ignis wasn't sure if Noctis understood what he was trying to communicate, but the prince just nodded. “We're going to Lestallum.”

“...What?” Gladio asked, hesitating like he didn't quite believe what he'd heard.

“Lestallum,” Noctis repeated slowly, his head drooping like he was about to fall asleep. “We're going today.”

For the first time in days, Gladio genuinely grinned, and Ignis felt warm inside. Turning instead to Prompto so that he didn't stare like a brainless fool, Ignis pushed more food onto Prompto's plate and relinquished his own when Gladio began tidy up. He was obviously impatient to leave, and Ignis didn't blame him.

Pulling out his phone, Ignis opened his GPS and plotted out the fastest route. “We're a little over two hours away. If we leave soon, we should be there by mid-morning.”

Gladio had already collapsed the tent, looking altogether far more energetic than anyone else. He physically lifted Prompto from his chair so that it could be folded up, letting Prompto slump against his side and keep eating while he worked with the other arm.

Noctis was even less cooperative, but Ignis managed to coax him up before Gladio physically tipped him out of his chair, herding him towards the car and depositing him in the back seat. He curled up along the length and closed his eyes, and Ignis could only laugh quietly as he walked back to the campsite.

By the time he got back, Prompto was standing on his own two feet, but only barely. The entire camp had been dismantled and put away, and Gladio was slinging various bags over his arms, obviously determined to take it all in one trip.

“Let’s go!” He announced, prodding Prompto in the back with the corner of a bag and forcing him forward. Ignis just laughed again, forcing a straight face when Prompto looked back at him with a wounded expression.

Noctis was still sleeping in the back seat when they all made their way over, but he stirred when Gladio threw the bags in the boot and slammed it shut. Sitting up long enough for Gladio to take his seat, Noctis immediately dropped his head back down into Gladio’s lap, something he often tried but rarely succeeded with.

However, instead of shoving Noctis back upright, Gladio just let him settle, slinging his arm over the back of the seat. Gladio’s mood was obviously making him more obliging, and for the first time in days, the Regalia didn’t feel like a suffocating tomb of misery.

Ignis wasn’t entirely keen on Noctis lying down while he drove, but he figured that he was safer in Gladio’s lap than perched on the back of his seat. He’d long given up on trying to get Noctis and Prompto to stay in their damn seats, but today he couldn’t even bring himself to mind a little when Prompto turned around and began taking photos of Noctis and Gladio.

Although he was trying to watch the road, Ignis glanced in the rear view mirror a few times to see Gladio smiling widely at the camera, and it made him press a little harder on the accelerator so that they could get to Lestallum and Iris a little quicker. Even Prompto’s quick babble was less annoying than usual as the scenery zipped past them, mountains and forests eventually giving way to the ocean and the sight of the distant city.

About thirty minutes before they were due to hit Lestallum, Noctis sat up and yawned, squinting at the camera that Prompto immediately shoved in his face.

“Hey, hey!” Prompto laughed, snapping away, “We’re almost in Lestallum. You ready for a proper city with proper hotels?”

For a moment, Ignis was worried that Noctis was going to slap the camera out of his face, but Gladio’s good mood must have been infectious. Instead of the dour response that Ignis had been expecting, Noctis gave a little closed-mouth smile and let Prompto take a few more pictures.

Even though he was looking at Noctis through the rear view mirror, Ignis could easily see the affection in his eyes as he looked past the camera to instead look at the photographer. Even though he felt a little yearning at such obviously reciprocated affection, Ignis could only be happy for them. Their time together would possibly only be brief, considering the way that their lives had been turned upside down just days earlier, and he wanted them to be able to make the most of it.

As much as he didn’t really trust himself to share a room with just Gladio, he knew that he’d have to let the other two share if they managed to get two rooms at their hotel. His own weaknesses were secondary to the prince’s happiness.

At least Gladio wasn’t being all stoic and silent anymore, his excitement obviously growing as they approached the city. By the time Ignis parked and turned the engine off, Gladio was already halfway out of the car, leaving the others to trail behind him as he rushed through the Lestallum alleys.

A tall, tattooed man practically running through the streets drew a fair amount of attention, especially with three others trailing after him, but the commotion meant that Iris was leaving the hotel just as Gladio barrelled up. She flung herself at her brother and was easily caught, and Ignis could hear Prompto’s camera shutter clicking as the siblings hugged.

It was a side of Gladio that Ignis rarely got to see, and he relished the sight of Gladio being so soft and open. The next few hours passed by with him watching Gladio watching Iris, and Ignis was just glad that Noctis and Prompto were too wrapped up in trying _not_ to look wrapped up in each other to notice him.

He thought that Iris might have shot him a few knowing looks, but he told himself he was just being paranoid.

As the morning gave way to the afternoon, which gave way to the early evening, Ignis was glad to sit down at a restaurant where someone else would cook and clean for them. He would have preferred a shower first, but they hadn’t managed to take their bags to their rooms yet, and even being reunited with his sister couldn’t stop Gladio’s rampant appetite for too long.

The meal wasn’t overly fancy or expensive but it was hot and filling, and Ignis didn’t have to do a single thing except sit down and order. He even managed to get Noctis to keep his vegetables on his own plate, and by the time they settled their bill and made their way to the hotel, Ignis was feeling relaxed and content.

Of course, that only lasted until it came time to split up the room key cards, and Ignis remembered his decision to let Prompto and Noctis have a night to themselves. He hesitated before giving them the pair of cards, but their barely-contained excitement as they realised the sleeping arrangements was enough to having him sucking it up and handing them over.

He was honestly a little shocked when the two decided to join Ignis, Gladio and Iris in the second room for another few hours of talking and card games. They sat perhaps a little closer than usual but Ignis didn’t see any hands wandering where they shouldn’t be, and he was glad that he didn’t have to convince Gladio not to throw them both off the balcony for exposing Iris to that sort of behaviour.

He did, however, see Noctis whisper something in Prompto’s ear that had his face going bright red. He wasn’t surprised when the two made their excuses less than a minute later, Prompto trying and failing to hide his embarrassed giggling as the door closed behind them. If Gladio noticed, he didn’t say anything, too busy smiling indulgently at his sister as she talked about what she was going to do next.

Eventually, though, Iris shot Ignis a sly look and bounced out of her chair, hugging her brother’s broad shoulders.

“I’m tired,” she announced. “I’m going back to my room.”

“I’ll walk you,” Gladio replied, and although Iris tried to convince him that she didn’t need chaperoning, he wasn’t having it. After they left, the room seemed deafeningly quiet, and Ignis couldn’t help but wonder why he was the only one who was alone.

Still, the shower was calling out to him, and he forced himself not to fall into self-pity as he stood up and headed for the bathroom. The warm water felt like heaven on his skin, and even after he was clean, Ignis let the water seep the tension from his back and shoulders.

It wasn’t a surprise that, once he was sufficiently relaxed, he felt his cock start to thicken. He hadn’t had any decent amount of time to himself since they had left Insomnia, but it was only now that he was really feeling the strain of going so long without any release. He hadn’t heard Gladio returning to the room yet, and so it wasn’t a hard decision to wrap his hand around his cock, bracing the other arm against the wall and letting his head hang as the water kept hitting him.

For at least a good minute, Ignis tried to tell himself that he wasn’t going to masturbate to the thought of Gladio, but that quickly fell by the wayside when all his brain wanted to imagine was rock-hard muscles and the thick, heavy cock that he’d glimpsed more than once.

What if Gladio was to walk into the bathroom right then and there?

Would he awkwardly apologise and flee? Or would he strip off his clothes and back Ignis into the corner of the shower stall?

Letting out a low, pleasured hum, Ignis stroked himself faster and let his imagination wander. Gladio would have to press right up against him to make them both fit, wet skin against wet skin making it easy for them to grind up against each other. Ignis wanted to ride against Gladio’s well-muscled thigh, to have Gladio grab him by the hips and control his movements; but that wasn’t all he wanted to ride.

Prying his arm away from the slick tiles, Ignis bit his lip and reached behind himself with a wet hand. His body wasn’t trained enough to make penetration comfortable without proper lube, but he rubbed his finger over his hole, enjoying the little shocks that made his body tremble.

Gladio would split him wide open, could probably hold him up against the wall of the shower while he did; and it would be endlessly exciting to top Gladio in return, to feel that much sheer power and strength underneath him.

Still jerking himself off, Ignis teased at his tight hole, running his finger over it and putting just the slightest amount of pressure against it. _God_ , but he wanted to feel Gladio inside of him, loving him the way he’d wanted for the longest time. Breathing heavily, Ignis wobbled a little on his feet, his breath catching but his arousal increasing when he heard the hotel room door open.

“I’m back, Iggy,” Gladio called, and Ignis bit back a moan.

“Welcome back,” he replied, fighting to keep his voice steady. He could just hear Gladio rustling about in the room, and the proximity made him feel that little bit of shame that pushed his excitement higher. Gladio was right there on the other side of the wall, completely unaware that Ignis was masturbating to the thought of fucking him, and that made Ignis unbearably hot.

Tipping his head back and feeling warm water on his face, Ignis slumped against the wall and pressed his lips together, letting just the tip of his finger enter his body. He shook as his orgasm built up, hand still working frantically on his dick as come splashed against the wall of the shower.

Breathing hard, Ignis watched as his come drained away with the water, pouring a handful of water against the wall to remove the last of the evidence. He had to pull himself back together before he could go out and face Gladio, but at least he was feeling fresher and more relaxed that he had been in days.

Letting the water fall over him for a few more moments, Ignis reached out and reluctantly shut off the shower, wrapping himself in a plush towel and, for a moment, intensely missing the royal pleasures of _home_.

He could do this. He could go out there and face Gladio as if nothing had happened, talking and laughing with him as a _friend._

He didn’t really want to, but he would.


	4. Get It

Gladio was quietly doing something on his phone when Ignis left the bathroom, his shirt tossed at the end of his bed and his legs stretched out in front of him with his bare feet crossed at the ankles. Ignis couldn't look at him without the burning shame eating away at him, and he only relaxed when Gladio carelessly tossed his phone down and went for his own shower.

As the water started up, Ignis refused to let himself wonder whether Gladio was doing the same thing he had done, instead focusing on changing into his pyjamas and organising his bags for the next day. Although they probably wouldn’t be leaving too early in the morning, the extra time to scout out a decent cup of coffee would certainly be a good start to the day.

Despite the air conditioning in the room, the heat was still stifling, and Ignis only hesitated for a moment before removing his shirt and changing into loose pyjama pants. He needed to sleep properly if he wanted to be at his best, and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he was overheating all night. Running a hand through his loose, damp hair, Ignis sat down on the edge of his bed, wondering whether it was worth trying to sleep before Gladio was out of the bathroom.

Deciding that he’d just get woken up again if he tried, Ignis reached for his phone and froze.

Underneath the noise of the shower and what just might have been Gladio singing quietly, Ignis could have sworn he’d heard-

Okay, that one was definitely Noctis in the room next door, and he sounded…

_Oh_.

Clearing his throat in embarrassment, Ignis averted his eyes from the shared wall despite knowing that he wouldn’t be able to see anything through it. The _last_ thing he wanted to do was listen to Prompto and Noctis having sex, but now that he was aware of the noise, he couldn’t _stop_ hearing it.

Groaning in frustration, Ignis grabbed his phone and stood up, heading out onto the balcony. He refused to look over to the next room, just in case they’d forgotten to close the blinds, but at least the noises of the city were louder than anything happening next door. Leaning forward over the railing, Ignis let the warm breeze brush over his bare torso, hanging his head a little as he sighed.

As long as Noctis and Prompto were happy and being safe, he didn’t care what they did with each other, but some irrational part of him _hurt_ to know that they were wrapped up in each other while he shamefully masturbated in the shower to the man just beyond the wall.

Trying to stave off the depressing line of thought before it could develop further, Ignis woke up his phone and frowned. It was still strange to not have a pile of messages and emails and missed calls, but Noctis was with him and no one from Insomnia was going to be contacting him about the boring minutiae of royal life. He felt oddly untethered without the usual stream of contact, and despite knowing that it wouldn’t have anything reassuring, he opened his favoured news service and began to skim the headlines.

“Thought you’d disappeared,” came a voice from behind him, and Ignis very nearly fumbled his phone off the edge of the balcony and into oblivion. Pulling it back to safety, he looked over his shoulder to see Gladio lounging against the balcony door in just his usual pants. Of course, he couldn’t exactly _judge_ Gladio for his shirtlessness, but it was improper to gawk and so he turned back to face the lights of the city.

“I just thought I would enjoy the night,” Ignis said, tensing up when Gladio walked up behind him and joined him against the railing.

“You’re ignoring the air conditioning to be out here in _this_ ,” Gladio said dubiously, bumping gently into Ignis’ shoulder and leaving him stiff. “What’s on your mind, Iggy?”

“Nothing,” Ignis said, a default reaction that always worked on people who didn’t really care. However, it _didn’t_ work on Gladio, and Ignis was caught under his doubtful look. Sighing in resignation, Ignis looked away from Gladio and ducked his head to hide his awkward embarrassment. “I could hear them- His Highness and Prompto, I mean- having... _relations_.”

“They’re fucking?” Gladio asked, peering around Ignis at the balcony door of the next room. When he didn’t see anything, he pushed away from the railing and stuck his head back into the hotel room, listening for a second before closing the door and rejoining Ignis. “‘Bout time, but yeah, I wouldn’t want to listen to that either. Guess we might be out here for a while.”

Dropping to the ground, Gladio leaned back against the railing and stretched his legs out in front of him, patting the bare concrete beside him. Ignis went a little more reluctantly, brushing the dirt away before sitting down, and he made sure to leave a respectable distance between their bodies.

“Is that why you let them share?” Gladio asked after a moment, crossing his arms over his broad chest and turning to look at Ignis.

“His Highness hasn’t had the easiest time lately,” Ignis said slowly, resisting the urge to fiddle with his glasses under Gladio’s penetrating stare. “I thought he might be more comfortable opening up to Prompto, but, uh…”

“Oh, he’s opening up alright,” Gladio said dryly, smirking at Ignis’ obvious wince. “But here I thought you just wanted to finish what we started on the beach, so you palmed them off on each other.”

“What...we started…” Ignis repeated a little dumbly, frowning at Gladio. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

There was no way that Gladio was proposing what Ignis _thought_ he was proposing...right?

“C’mon,” Gladio said, rising to his feet with more grace than a man of his size should have been able to achieve. Reaching down, he tugged Ignis up by his wrists, his hands lingering just a little before he let go. “If I’m remembering right, we were like this…”

Ignis could only stand there silently as Gladio positioned him, stepping in close and taking Ignis’ narrow hips in his big hands. The whole situation was eerily familiar as he tilted his head back to look up at Gladio, and Ignis’ heart began to pound.

“The kids are busy and there won’t be any daemon attacks in the city,” Gladio said, his voice deep and quiet. “No one’s going to interrupt us this time.”

Ignis opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came to mind; he felt frozen in place, hyperaware of everything from the thumbs rubbing his hips to the sweat that was beading at his hairline to the feeling of his cock hardening in his pyjama pants. It was his job to know what to do and say in every situation, but apparently his talents didn’t extend to... _whatever_ this was.

The silence stretched between them, neither moving until Gladio suddenly dropped his hands and took a step back towards the balcony door. “Shit, Iggy- Ignis- I thought...I’m trying to force something that isn’t there, aren’t I. _Fuck_.”

Running a hand through his hair, Gladio turned to grab the balcony’s door handle, pausing to look back over his shoulder. “Sorry, Ignis. I misread some things, assumed some stuff. I’ll go crash on Iris’ floor tonight, she won’t mind. We’ll be okay in the morning, right? Actually, don’t answer that. I’m just gonna-”

“Gladio,” Ignis said, not entirely sure what he was going to say but knowing that he _couldn’t_ let Gladio leave. The sound of his name had Gladio’s shoulders tensing, and before he could properly think about the action, Ignis stepped forward to rest a soothing hand between Gladio’s bare shoulder blades. “Stay.”

“You don’t have to pretend I’m not making you uncomfortable,” Gladio said, turning away and opening the door. “I just-”

Maybe it was because of his loneliness, or a touch of heat stroke, or just plain horniness, but Ignis found himself pressing up against Gladio’s back, letting his interested cock brush against him. “Does it seem like I’m uncomfortable with you, Gladio?”

Gladio didn’t respond, and Ignis swallowed down the shame and manners that were yelling at him to stop being so bold. “You caught me off guard. I believe we should give it one last try.”

This time, Ignis was the one coaxing Gladio to turn around, and he shuddered when heated eyes stared into his own. Slowly, reverently, Gladio reached out to take Ignis’ glasses, tossing them through the open door so that they hit Ignis’ mattress and bounced harmlessly. Usually Ignis would complain about his belongings getting such rough treatment, but he threw his phone in the same direction and promptly went about using his now-free hands to return Gladio’s own to his hips.

“So,” Ignis said, swallowing hard and anxiously licking his lips. “We were arranged like this. What was your next move going to be?”

“...I think I had some sappy speech planned,” Gladio said, “but I don’t really remember it now. I mostly just wanna kiss you.”

Putting one hand on Gladio’s tattooed arm and squeezing gently, Ignis wound his other arm around Gladio’s neck, pulling him down. “We can’t take this back. Are you sure?”

“You think too much,” Gladio said, before he leaned in the rest of the way and pressed his lips to Ignis’.

Gladio could probably have done with a shave, but Ignis relished the feeling of stubble against his skin, pulling Gladio closer as he opened his mouth and used his tongue to coax Gladio’s lips to open. Welcoming Ignis’ tongue into his mouth, Gladio wrapped his arms around Ignis and pulled their bodies together, flexing his hips against Ignis and making him let out a muffled moan.

Still clutching at Gladio’s arm, Ignis ran his other hand from Gladio’s neck to his stomach, letting his fingers dance across sculpted muscle. He’d been forced to look without touching for so long, and now all he wanted to do was spend _hours_ tracing his fingers along every single part of Gladio.

If he had actually fallen asleep and none of this was real, Ignis never wanted to wake up. But Gladio’s teeth were pulling at his bottom lip, and the pain felt too grounding for this to be a dream; letting out another stifled groan, Ignis pulled away from Gladio’s mouth and pressed his lips into Gladio’s neck, panting against his skin for a few moments while their hips rocked and ground together.

“Is…” Ignis asked, still huffing against Gladio’s sweat-slick skin, “Is this too fast?”

“You’ve been staring at me for _years_ ,” Gladio said, winding a hand into Ignis’ hair to hold him closer and groaning when Ignis bit his neck. “But we can stop if you want to.”

“You noticed?” Ignis asked, his lips moving against Gladio’s neck.

“Of course I did,” Gladio replied, gently tugging on Ignis’ hair to get him to pull back. “It’s my job to know when I’m being watched.”

“That’s...embarrassing,” Ignis said quietly, his cheeks burning. “Why didn’t you ever say anything, if you were interested?”

“You always seemed more interested in your duty than other people. I didn’t want to get rejected because of a _job_.” Letting go of Ignis for a moment, Gladio put a finger under his chin to tip his head back, kissing Ignis again while reaching down with his other hand to grab Ignis’ ass. Ignis jolted at the sudden squeeze, but the movement just served to rub their bodies together again, and they moaned into each other’s mouths.

“What changed?” Ignis asked when they pulled apart again, hooking his arms over Gladio’s shoulders. “Why now?”

Gladio suddenly went still, and Ignis wondered if he’d hit a sore spot; before he could worry too much, though, Gladio smiled at him, although it was tinged with sadness. “If the idiot prince can get his shit together enough to hook up with Prompto, surely we can do better than dancing around each other.”

Letting out a loud laugh, Ignis tipped his forehead into Gladio’s chest, shaking against him a little. “Well, I suppose we can’t let the children show us up, now can we.”

“You wanna give them a taste of their own medicine and take this inside?” Gladio asked, squeezing Ignis’ ass again.

“I’d rather not…” Ignis trailed off, his eyes widening when Gladio’s face fell. “I mean, I’d rather not be too obvious. If we can be quiet, I would love to take this inside.”

Gladio’s look of relief was almost comical, and Ignis stepped back before taking him by the hand. Gladio let himself be towed back into the room, kicking the balcony door shut behind him and blindly reaching back to close the curtains. Ignis only released his hand when they reached Gladio’s bed, instead hooking his fingers into the waistband of Gladio’s pants.

“What would you like to, ah, do?” Ignis asked, wanting a plan to help him feel more grounded. He had _so many_ ideas in his head, but most of them weren’t practical for the moment, and he didn’t want Gladio to feel uncomfortable.

Discomfort seemed to be the last thing on Gladio’s mind, though, as he grabbed Ignis’ wrists and encouraged him to put his hands further down Gladio’s pants. “I want to suck your cock.”

“Oh,” Ignis said, arousal and surprise rendering him stupid. “ _Oh_. Um, yes.”

With Gladio’s encouragement, he pushed Gladio’s pants down, leaving him standing there in his underwear. The big, hard bulge at the front kept stealing his attention, and Gladio laughed as he noticed where Ignis kept looking. Even without his glasses, he could see that Gladio’s size was proportionate to the rest of him- if not _better_ \- and he felt his ass clench.

“Of course, if you’d rather fuck outright, we can do that too.” Gladio redirected one of Ignis’ hands to the front of his underwear, humming happily when Ignis started to fondle him through the thin material.

Ignis’ rational mind made a brief comeback, and he reluctantly shook his head. “From the sound of it, Noctis might not be up to sitting in the driver’s seat tomorrow. As much as I would love to feel you inside me, I’d also rather not be aching through a long drive tomorrow. We might have to work our way up to _this_.”

Pressing his palm along the length of Gladio’s cock, Ignis bit his lip when Gladio barely clenched his lips against a moan. Forcing himself back under control, Gladio thrust his hips into Ignis’ hand, his fingers clenching and relaxing around Ignis’ wrists.

“I’d offer you my ass,” Gladio said, huffing a laugh when Ignis’ face went blank with surprised pleasure, “but it’s been a while since I’ve bottomed, and we’ll have the same problem anyway.”

“...Okay,” Ignis panted, amazed that he was even still able to speak, “okay. We won’t do that yet. For now…”

“For now, let me take care of you,” Gladio said a little breathlessly, letting go of Ignis’ wrists to prod him into sitting on the bed. “Relax.”

Ignis wasn’t sure how he was supposed to relax when Gladio was tugging his pants off of him, his hard cock bouncing into view once it was no longer hidden- barely- by the material.

“No underwear,” Gladio said quietly, wondrously, sinking to his knees between Ignis’ spread legs once the pyjamas were thrown elsewhere. “Hot.”

Before Gladio could put his mouth to Ignis’ cock, however, a strong hand in his hair kept him in place, making him sit back and look up. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Ignis began, wondering exactly how he could explain, “I might not come right away.”

“Doesn’t look like it to me,” Gladio said, reaching forward to trace a finger along the hard, heavy length of Ignis’ dick. “Seems like you’re doing pretty well so far.”

“I mean,” Ignis said, swallowing and averting his eyes. “I masturbated in the shower, and the second time doesn’t always happen so quickly.”

“Tell me about it,” Gladio blurted out, before collecting himself and clearing his throat. “If you want to. If I won’t get jealous.”

Grinning, he looked up at Ignis, whose skin was flushed red. “I was thinking about you.”

“I like that,” Gladio murmured, and Ignis saw him push a hand between his own legs. “What were you thinking about?”

“I was,” Ignis started, only to throw a hand over his mouth when Gladio licked the head of his cock. Muffling a moan, Ignis could see the expectant look in Gladio’s eyes as he tipped Ignis’ cock back to lick right along the underside, and he forcibly ignored his inhibitions.

“I was thinking about you walking in and taking me in the shower.” Ignis panted hard when Gladio rewarded him by taking his cock into his mouth properly, sucking hard as he stroked what he could with his tongue. “About how wide you could open me, how it would feel to have you all the way inside of me.”

Gladio moaned around Ignis’ cock, and Ignis realised that his warning hadn’t exactly been necessary. Even if it was his second orgasm in a comparatively short amount of time, his body apparently hadn’t gotten the memo, and he could feel telltale heat building up in his gut.

“Was that all?” Gladio asked, letting Ignis fall out of his mouth and lightly stroking him with his hand instead. “Did you ride your fingers and wish it was me?”

“No,” Ignis admitted, and Gladio pouted. “I wanted to, though. I had no proper lubricant, so I could only tease myself.”

Barely holding back a groan, Gladio pushed his hand harder against his own dick and sucked on the head of Ignis’.

“I also thought about taking you,” Ignis offered of his own volition, lost in a haze of pleasure as Gladio swallowed him down. “Having you underneath me, desperate for me…

“ _Please_ ,” Ignis gasped desperately, thrusting his hips hard as if to punctuate his point. “Please let me have you.”

Grabbing Gladio’s hair again, Ignis fell back against the mattress, helplessly rolling into Gladio’s mouth and barely remembering to keep his volume down. When Gladio did _something_ with his tongue, though, some kind of complicated movement that somehow hit all of Ignis’ weak points at once, he was done for.

Still gripping onto Gladio’s hair, Ignis tossed his head to the side and grabbed the bedcovers between his teeth, not trusting himself to be able to muffle the sounds of his orgasm without help. He could feel Gladio swallowing as he came down his throat, and Ignis screwed his eyes shut as he shook through his second- and far more satisfying- orgasm of the night.

Once he felt safe enough to let go of the covers, Ignis turned his head and stared blankly at the ceiling, still panting. He could only smile fondly when Gladio suddenly appeared in his line of sight, lifting a weak hand and cupping Gladio’s cheek.

“Thank you,” Ignis said, and Gladio laughed before leaning down to peck him on the lips.

“My pleasure,” Gladio said with a wink, and Ignis suddenly remembered that he’d now had two orgasms to Gladio’s zero. Wriggling out from underneath Gladio, Ignis ushered him over until their positions were reversed, with Gladio stretched out along the bed and Ignis perched above him.

“Your turn,” Ignis said, and Gladio grinned when Ignis groped him through precome-wet underwear.

His plans for an early night long forgotten, Ignis slid down Gladio’s body, ready and eager to return the favour that Gladio had just bestowed upon him.


	5. Don't Take It Like That

The first thing that Ignis noticed when he woke up was that he was disgustingly, unbearably _hot_. He felt damp with sweat, and it certainly wasn’t helping that his naked body was completely wrapped up by Gladio’s own. In any other situation, he would have loved to stay with Gladio’s arms around him and Gladio’s leg thrown over his own, but the heat felt almost suffocating and he had to get out.

Gladio wasn’t a particularly heavy sleeper, which was probably a good trait for the King’s Shield, and he began to stir as soon as Ignis started to extract himself.

“Where’re you goin’?” Gladio mumbled, his voice muffled by Ignis’ hair. His arms tightened around Ignis for a moment, but then he relaxed, letting Ignis escape and sit up beside him.

“I was overheating,” Ignis explained, reaching down to gently card his hand through Gladio’s tangled hair. Gladio made a happy little noise and sleepily turned his head further into Ignis’ hand, closing his eyes and reaching out to affectionately squeeze Ignis’ bare thigh. Using his free hand, Ignis linked his fingers with Gladio’s, and a contented silence filled the room for so long that Ignis wondered if Gladio had gone back to sleep.

Judging from the light that was filtering into the room through the gaps in the curtains, it was around the time when Ignis would usually get up and start preparing breakfast, but for once there was no need for him to do that and he simply allowed himself to enjoy the quiet time.

The peace was only broken when there was a quiet knock on the door, Ignis not even entirely sure that he’d heard anything until it was followed up with a hissed, “Iggy? Gladio? You awake?”

Gladio’s eyes snapped open, both of them recognising Prompto’s voice and then almost falling over each other as they tried to figure out where their pants had gone. Tugging his pyjamas into place and haphazardly throwing his glasses on, Ignis paused just long enough to check that Gladio was decent before opening the door and ushering Prompto inside.

He looked absolutely miserable and like he’d barely slept, wandering unsteadily into the room before dropping down on Ignis’ unused bed.

“Good...morning,” Ignis said uncertainly, closing the door and sitting on Gladio’s bed, directly across from Prompto. Gladio was sitting up against the headboard, but his attention was obviously focused on their visitor.

Prompto just groaned, running a hand down his face before hanging his head. “Can I talk to you guys about something? If you promise not to tell Noct?”

“If he asks, I can’t lie to him,” Ignis said truthfully, ignoring the way Gladio jabbed him in the side when Prompto groaned again. “But...if he doesn’t ask, then I won’t tell him anything.”

“...I’ll take it,” Prompto said eventually, flopping back on the bed and dramatically flinging his arm over his forehead. “Why is everything so _hard_?”

“ _That didn’t seem to bother him last night_ ,” Gladio whispered just loud enough for Ignis to hear, and he only barely managed to cover a snort of laughter with a cough. Luckily, Prompto didn’t seem to notice anything, too busy kicking his legs in irritation; the other two just waited for his mood to pass, Prompto eventually pushing himself up to rest back on his arms.

“So, last night,” Prompto started, before trailing off and staring at the wall that divided their two rooms. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment and then turned back to Ignis and Gladio, a concerned expression on his face.

“Actually, can we do this somewhere else? I really don’t want him to hear.”

Ignis was actually starting to feel more than a little worried, and so he just nodded. “I think that I saw some places that open early for breakfast. Go get dressed and we’ll meet you out the front.”

Prompto just nodded, leaving the room to sneak back into his own. Once he was gone, Ignis turned back to Gladio and raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

Gladio thought for a moment before standing up, shamelessly dropping his pants again to dig out clean clothes. For a moment, Ignis forced himself to look away as Gladio bent over to dig through his bag, only to remember that it was probably a little too late to be hiding his appreciation.

“Noct probably just said something dumb that he didn't really mean. Kid’s an idiot at the best of times.”

“ _Gladio_ ,” Ignis warned sharply, but Gladio just laughed.

“C’mon, you know I'm right.”

“I'll never admit such a thing,” Ignis said haughtily, cracking a smile when Gladio scoffed. “Get dressed, or Prompto's going to get restless and do something silly.”

“Fine, fine,” Gladio sighed, pulling on his usual pants and open shirt. Ignis dressed and took a few minutes to quickly gel his hair, knowing that Prompto would be doing the same. Gladio just finger combed his own and rubbed at his stubble while brushing his teeth, obviously deciding whether he needed to shave yet. Ignis gestured for him to follow once he decided that they were both ready to be seen in public, but just before he could open the door, he felt a big hand wrap around his forearm.

“Hey,” Gladio said softly, tugging Ignis back towards him. “One more thing.”

Ignis went easily, letting Gladio turn him around. The kiss he received was soft and gentle, far more so than one might expect from the giant, rough-looking man; but looks could be deceiving, and Ignis smiled into the kiss as he squeezed Gladio’s waist.

“Good morning,” Gladio murmured after he pulled away, smoothing back a strand of Ignis’ hair that hadn’t quite set right. “How do you feel?”

“Relaxed,” Ignis said, and he meant it. “Yourself?”

“Couldn’t be better,” Gladio said, putting a hand on the small of Ignis’ back and leading him back towards the door. “Let’s go see what idiocy His Highness has caused _this_ time.”

As they headed outside, Gladio quickly sent a text to his sister, asking her to intercept Noctis before he could find them. Who knew how long Prompto was going to talk for; they were both well aware that he could ramble on with the best of them.

When they met Prompto out the front of the hotel, he was uncharacteristically quiet as he trailed along behind Ignis and Gladio, his usual exuberance replaced by slumped shoulders and scuffing steps. Ignis frowned and directed them towards the nearest open cafe, a small place that catered to the very early morning market crowd.

Prompto barely lifted his head to look at the waitress as he ordered, and Ignis had to swallow down the urge to reprimand him. Even if the others tended to mock him for it, he’d spent too many years making sure that Noctis acted with proper manners to ditch the habit entirely; but this wasn’t the time to be picking at Prompto’s behaviour.

Ignis was willing to wait until Prompto was ready to talk, but Gladio apparently had no patience for that. After a few moments of sitting at the table in silence, Gladio leaned forward and dropped his elbows onto the table, propping his chin in his hands and giving Prompto the kind of stare that sent newer Crownsguard recruits running for the hills.

“We don’t have all d-” Gladio started, cutting off when Ignis jabbed his thick-heeled shoe into Gladio’s leg. The raised-eyebrow _look_ that Ignis gave him obviously had him reconsidering his approach, Gladio’s stare becoming less intense. “What’s bothering you, Prompto?”

Satisfied, Ignis turned his attention back to Prompto, sneaking a hand under the table and patting Gladio’s knee in apology. When he went to remove his hand, he found that Gladio put his own on top to keep it in place, and Ignis ducked his head and swallowed hard. Satisfied, Gladio put his other hand back on top of the table, but Ignis left his in place, feeling strong muscle under his fingers as he squeezed gently.

“-e really cared.”

Ignis flushed a shameful red as he realised that he hadn’t been listening to Prompto, and he snatched his hand back as he nodded understandingly, hoping that it was the proper reaction. Maybe it wasn’t a _major_ thing, but Gladio was already distracting him; he couldn’t let that happen in a high stakes situation.

If he let someone- especially Noctis- get hurt because he was distracted by his own libido, he’d never deserve to be forgiven.

“...Okay, so what’s the problem?” Gladio asked bluntly, and Ignis didn’t let himself look at him, keeping his attention on Prompto. He was glad that _one_ of them was apparently paying attention, and he resolved to do better.

“...He said he loves me,” Prompto said, and he sounded so miserable that Ignis’ heart ached. He couldn’t figure out why a confession would inspire so much unhappiness, though, and he made his tone as soft as he could manage.

“Do you not feel the same, Prompto? You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to, even if he _is_ a prince.” Ignis didn’t _think_ that was the problem, but better safe than sorry, right? Prompto wasn’t necessarily easily led but Noctis was a soft spot for him, and even though Noctis wasn’t intentionally malicious, he could still be thoughtless at times.

“It’s not that,” Prompto mumbled, and Ignis relaxed a fraction. “He loves me, he told me last night, but he said he’s still getting married.”

_Fuck_ , Ignis thought with a grimace that he barely managed to hide. Prompto looked like he was ready to cry, and although Ignis wasn’t really willing to wade into this particular mess, he knew that he had to. Of all the people in Insomnia, Prompto had to go and fall for the one who was bound by a politically motivated arranged marriage.

“Wouldn’t be the first time that a king’s had a wife and one or two on the side,” Gladio pointed out, and Ignis could tell from the tone of his voice that he was thinking about the rumours that had long swirled around King Regis.

“He loves Lunafreya too,” Prompto said, shaking his head. “She seems nice. I couldn’t hurt her like that.”

“What if she gave her blessing?” Ignis asked gently, pausing while their food and drinks were placed onto the table. The waitress, obviously feeling the tension, didn’t stick around and Ignis quickly turned his attention back to Prompto. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she had someone else that she loved.”

“I can’t keep being an afterthought,” Prompto said, tears welling in his eyes. “Everyone always leaves me, and I _can’t_ …”

He trailed off, and Ignis realised that this was about a little more than just Notis’ too-blunt mouth. When Prompto had first started hanging around, he’d had a complete dossier prepared on the boy, just in case there was something unpleasant at play; but Prompto had always been somewhat of a loner without too many other friends, and his family were unremarkable.

With a heavy heart, Ignis remembered the glee in Prompto’s eyes as he’d gone to show his parents his new Crownsguard uniform just before they’d left on their trip, and the nearly-hidden waver in his voice when he’d returned to Noctis’ apartment with his parents nowhere to be found.

As far as Ignis knew, Prompto had largely brought himself up, and for the most part he seemed fairly well adjusted; but with an absent family and his best-friend-slash-first-love leaving him for someone else, it wasn’t a surprise that Prompto was struggling.

“Prompto…” Ignis began, trailing off as he realised that he didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t lie and give meaningless platitudes, but he’d never been particularly good with the intricacies of emotions.

“Sometimes...we can’t always have what we want,” Ignis finally started again, swallowing hard and not letting himself think about Gladio sitting right next to him. “This trip isn’t exactly a reflection of our real lives, and love isn’t always enough; it’s entirely possible that you might find it easier to let Noctis go once you aren’t spending each and every day with him. Noctis will always be your best friend, but sometimes we can’t be selfish and give up everything else for love, especially not when our current stressful situation might be influencing what you feel.”

Prompto looked utterly distressed, pushing food around his plate without actually eating any of it. Taking a sip from his coffee, Ignis composed what to say next; Gladio seemed to be too busy eating to do any more talking.

“Sometimes we have to do what we _need_ to, rather than what we’d like to. Duty has to come before our personal relationships, even if that means giving up what we might have with each other. I’m sorry, Prompto, but with Insomnia under attack and King Regis having passed...I don’t think the agreement with Lady Lunafreya can be broken at this point.”

“ _I know_ ,” Prompto whispered, his head bowed. There was silence as he rubbed almost angrily at his eyes, before he took a deep, shuddering breath and looked back up at Ignis and Gladio. “Will...will you two still be here for me?”

“Of course,” Ignis said immediately, running over the top of Gladio’s simple, “Yeah.”

“Noctis ain’t going to forget about you just because he’s getting married,” Gladio added, and there was something in his gruff confidence that had Prompto nodding instead of breaking down again. “If he does, I’ll kick his ass, then we’ll go drinking and find you someone prettier.”

“Pretty sure that’s treason,” Prompto mumbled, but there was a ghost of a smile on his face. “D’you think Cindy’d go to the wedding with me?”

Ignis and Gladio laughed, and if it sounded a little forced, at least there was some colour returning to Prompto’s face. After a few more moments, he lifted a forkful of eggs to his mouth and swallowed without looking like he was forcing himself to keep it down. Ignis watched him for a while, barely tasting his coffee; Prompto still looked down, but his energy seemed to be slowly returning.

“Hey…” Prompto said after a while, his voice hesitant. “If they’re not married yet, it’s not cheating, right?”

“Nah,” Gladio said before Ignis could. “What happens on the trip, stays on the trip. Duty first, right, Iggy?”

“...Right,” Ignis agreed slowly, frowning at the hint of bitterness in Gladio’s voice. When he looked over, Gladio was resolutely staring forward at Prompto, his face an emotionless mask. Gently knocking his leg against Gladio’s, Ignis was confused when Gladio’s own leg stayed perfectly still, the man not even looking at Ignis.

Deciding that Prompto was still the more urgent situation, Ignis filed Gladio’s sudden change in behaviour away for later exploration. They needed to have a proper talk about the state of their relationship at some point, although Ignis was fairly certain that they were both on the same page about entering into a proper relationship.

Noticing that Prompto’s plate was empty, Ignis drained the last of his coffee and sat the cup next to Gladio’s long-empty dishes. “Do you feel ready to return yet, Prompto?”

“...Yeah,” Prompto said, wiping at his now-dry eyes once more. He still looked a little puffy, but Ignis doubted that Noctis would notice. Nodding, Ignis put the money for their bill on the table, leading the other two out into the street. The heat hadn’t quite set in yet, but it was clearly on the way, and Ignis watched from the corner of his eye as Gladio stretched out and tipped his head back to feel the sun on his skin.

“C’mon,” Gladio said, glancing at Ignis for a moment before turning to Prompto. “Let’s go find His Royal Idiot-ness.”

As Gladio walked away, Ignis watched his back and frowned. It was probably just the stress of dealing with Noctis and Prompto’s issues, but Gladio seemed far more unsettled than he had that morning; as soon as they had a quiet moment, Ignis was going to talk to him.

He didn’t want the others’ issues to come between them, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read [the translation of the prologue drama](http://cdn.sqexeu.com/files/ff15/main_site/public/novella/FFXV_Novel_ENG.pdf) and it gave me _feels_ okay


	6. Ardyn

Of course, finding a quiet moment in which to talk to Gladio was nigh on impossible, because Ignis’ life was just like that.

Collecting another weapon from Noctis’ ancestors was as worthy a distraction as any, Ignis supposed, but they'd barely had time to sleep, much less hold any non-vital discussions. Ignis had then planned to corner Gladio upon their return to Lestallum, but the man from Galdin Quay- _Ardyn_ \- had ruined any chance of that happening. Ignis knew the myths about the Crater, but he was suspicious of Ardyn’s cryptic claim that Noctis was being called there, much less his request that they follow him there.

When Noctis had offered to ride in Ardyn’s car, Ignis had thought he was going to have a heart attack; all these years of training and Noctis _still_ hadn't managed to hone basic survival instincts. He'd been about ready to forcibly throw Noctis into the Regalia when Ardyn had refused, making a glib comment about a _fare_ that had Ignis suppressing a disgusted shudder.

He saw Gladio tense up at the same moment, and he didn't relax when Noctis left Ardyn to get into his own car alone. Away from prying eyes, Ignis briefly laid a comforting hand on the small of Gladio's back once Noctis was standing by the Regalia, but it didn't seem to help.

“Shall we?” He murmured, gesturing to the Regalia. Noctis was already standing by the driver's door and Ignis passed him the keys, happy to settle in the back seat with Gladio. Prompto’s chatter seemed to indicate that he’d recovered from the previous day and Ignis let it all wash over him, only paying enough attention to know if Prompto was beginning to distract Noctis from the road.

Ignis wasn’t expecting much from Gladio, considering that the other two were right there in front of them, but he frowned when Gladio just picked up his book without even _glancing_ in Ignis’ direction. It seemed like he must still have been on edge from Ardyn’s general presence, and so Ignis wasn’t going to push; after he was sure that Gladio’s attention wasn’t going to move from his book, he turned his own to the road, watching Ardyn’s car for any suspicious movements.

Despite Ignis’ vigilance, he didn’t see Ardyn break so much as a single road rule, although he did reach out a few times to lay a hand on Noctis’ shoulder and quietly tell him not to follow quite so closely. If they _were_ being led into some sort of trap, Ignis wanted to have a least a few seconds worth of warning.

But the day passed in relative peace, with Noctis’ determination to find out what Ardyn meant keeping his focus solely on the road. Around mid-afternoon, Prompto began whining that he was hungry, and so Ignis dug out a few pre-packed meals without even being too bothered by the fact that Noctis was using one hand to eat and one hand to drive. He wouldn’t usually allow it, but Ardyn didn’t seem to have any intentions of stopping and Ignis didn’t want to let his car out of sight.

As far as Ignis knew, the small nod and quiet _thank you_ that Gladio gave him upon being passed his food was the most that Gladio had acknowledged him all day. It was strange, but not unheard of; the trip was still wearing on all of them, and Ignis couldn’t exactly judge Gladio for wanting some time to himself.

Pushing _those_ worries out of his mind, Ignis focused back on the car ahead of them, checking his GPS every so often to watch their progress. He frowned when he realised that there was no chance of them arriving at the Disc before sundown, and he wondered if that was Ardyn’s plan all along: to strand them in the middle of nowhere with vicious daemons all around.

Just as he was weighing up whether to voice his concerns, though, Ardyn’s blinker began to flash and he turned into a roadside stop that Ignis had been too distracted to notice. He was dismayed to see that there didn’t seem to be a motel there; instead only a single rental trailer stood beside a few traders, and Ardyn had parked right beside it.

Ignis briefly wondered if sleeping in the Regalia was going to be an option, but he didn’t want to show unease in front of Ardyn.

Pulling himself together, Ignis joined the others in getting out of the car and walking over to where Ardyn was leaning against the bonnet of his own vehicle. Flicking his hair out of his eyes, the strange man shot them a smile that had Ignis automatically shifting to put himself in front of Noctis and Prompto.

“It’s not quite fit for a prince,” Ardyn drawled mockingly, “but it will have to do for tonight. We’re leaving at first light tomorrow.”

Turning his back to them in a show of confidence, Ardyn walked over to the trailer and pried the door open, disappearing inside without another word. Noctis and Prompto didn’t seem bothered by anything that had happened, making their way to the outside chairs and pulling out their phones, but Ignis reached out and grabbed Gladio by the elbow before he could walk past.

“I don’t like this,” Ignis said in a low voice, turning his face away from the windows of the trailer. “Something isn’t right here.”

“I know,” Gladio said, and although Ignis waited for him to say more, nothing was forthcoming. Gently squeezing Gladio’s elbow, Ignis glanced over his shoulder at the other two before turning back.

“Should we go? I don’t trust this man around Noctis. We don’t know the first thing about him, and yet we’re letting him lead us as we galavant across the countryside. _Astrals_ , Gladio? It’s a flight of fancy, and a dangerous one at that.”

Pulling away from Ignis’ grip, Gladio crossed his arms over his chest. “We don’t get a say in this, Iggy. His Highness says jump, and we ask how high. I’ll protect him, but I can’t stop him.”

“Gladio,” Ignis started, but Gladio cut him off.

“Drop it, Iggy. The little prince is determined this time.”

Taken aback by the finality in Gladio’s voice, Ignis could only blink dumbly for a few moments. Apparently he couldn’t keep losing opportunities to talk to Gladio about whatever was obviously bothering him; he understood that his behaviour might just have been from general frustration, but he still wanted to help if he could.

After all, they were closer now to a proper relationship than they ever had been, and Ignis wanted to show Gladio that he really did care. If that meant leaving Gladio to stew by himself, he’d do it; but he had to try something else first.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Gladio muttered, and Ignis looked past him to see Noctis and Prompto opening the door to the trailer. Forgetting all about his plans to talk to Gladio, Ignis hurried over to the trailer with Gladio right beside him, both completely unwilling to leave Ardyn alone and out of sight with the other two.

Sitting on one of the three beds in the trailer, Ardyn looked up as they all entered, an amused eyebrow creeping up. Noctis and Prompto were bickering about which bed they should take, and although Ignis was glad to note that Prompto had obviously been able to put his issues aside, he wasn’t sure how he would go with sharing Gladio’s bed with such an audience.

But his other option was sharing with Ardyn, and Ignis didn’t want to even _think_ about what a night like that might entail.

Still, he supposed that one benefit to Ardyn being there was that there was no bickering about which two would have to share, and which two would get their own beds. The trailers scattered at roadside stops could have anywhere from one to four beds, but they never knew what they would get until they opened the door; it led to a lot of arguing and games of paper-scissors-rock.

Before Noctis and Prompto could make a strategically unsound decision, Ignis shrugged off his jacket and placed it on the bed closest to the one Ardyn had claimed, leaving the other two no choice but to take the furthest bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gladio give the slightest hint of an approving nod, and Ignis turned away before he could do something stupid like overtly acknowledge the gesture.

“Crowded in here, isn’t it,” Ardyn murmured, abruptly standing. Ignis and Gladio both tensed at the movement, but Ardyn just brushed past them.

“Relax, gentlemen,” Ardyn said in a low voice, and Ignis could have sworn that he saw Ardyn’s fingers brush across Gladio’s bare forearm as he passed. Judging from the way that Gladio’s posture stiffened even further, Ignis assumed that he’d seen correctly, and he _seethed_.

He didn’t let the expression show on his face, though, shooting the others a tight smile before following Ardyn outside. He didn’t want to let the man out of his sight if he didn’t have to, and he settled in one of the outside chairs with Ardyn idly wandering to and fro before him.

The rest of the evening passed without incident, Ardyn holding an acceptably civilised conversation with all of them as they ate a dinner bought from one of the nearby traders. The politeness was obviously an act, but without any obvious missteps, Ignis didn’t have anything to use to convince Noctis not to go any further with Ardyn.

Being constantly on his guard was exhausting, but as the night quickly headed towards the early morning, Ignis couldn’t excuse himself from the group before Ardyn did. Noctis and Prompto were long gone, but he and Gladio were still stuck outside with the unsettling stranger. Ignis didn’t even hear most of the conversation that was going on around him, too focused on looking like he _wasn’t_ so paranoid. He wasn’t sure how well he achieved that, but no one mentioned anything and so he assumed that his performance was acceptable.

He very nearly sighed with relief when Ardyn announced that it was time for bed, but it wasn’t until he and Gladio were settling into their own bed that Ignis realised the _next_ problem.

Ignis couldn’t let himself fall asleep with such a suspicious man _right there_ , especially as Noctis’ chances of waking up if something was wrong were very low. As far as he could tell, Gladio was much the same; but if Ardyn could feel the two sets of eyes on him, he didn’t make any indications about it, rolling over and falling asleep without a care in the world.

Despite the fact that he was sharing a small bed with Gladio, Ignis thought that this was quite possibly the least sexy situation he’d ever been involved in. Even with Gladio’s body pressed alongside his own, the tension and paranoia in the room were stifling, and the warmth of Gladio’s body was the last thing on Ignis’ mind.

Maybe he would have had an interesting dream had he allowed himself to sleep, but Ignis didn’t let his subconscious mind to take over at all, spending the entire night with at least _some_ awareness of Ardyn in his mind at all times.

At least their trip had prepared him for nights with little to no sleep, and when first light came Ignis found that he didn’t feel quite as poorly as he had expected. He was glad that Noctis would presumably be driving again, of course, but he didn’t feel anywhere near as grouchy as sleepless nights had used to leave him.

The soft smile that Gladio gave him upon stirring was empowering as well, before they both turned their tired eyes back towards Ardyn. Nothing untoward had happened overnight, and the man just nodded at them when he woke up himself; Ignis couldn’t be certain that he’d seen the shadow of a smirk on the man’s face, and so he told himself that he was imagining things.

Still, Ignis felt far more relaxed when they were safely back in the Regalia with Ardyn in the car ahead of them, to the point where he found himself drifting off not too long into the new day’s journey.

“Wake up,” was the next thing that Ignis remembered hearing, and he jolted upright to see an Imperial roadblock ahead of them. A little disoriented, he looked around and realised that he must have fallen asleep on Gladio’s shoulder. He supposed it was something that the man hadn’t pushed him off, and Ignis gave him an embarrassed yet appreciative nod as Ardyn pulled over to the side of the road.

Noctis pulled up beside him, and Ignis’ bad feeling got _so much worse_ when Ardyn somehow opened the Imperial gate and the Imperial forces didn’t immediately attack them. If he’d hoped that Ardyn finally leaving them would make him feel better, he’d been utterly wrong; as the man bid them farewell, Ignis only felt worse as they left the Regalia with the Imperial troops milling about.

After all that, the shock of seeing an _actual Astral_ felt somewhat dulled, at least until the ground began to shake wildly and split. Trying to find his footing, Ignis heard a shout, but by the time he looked up, Gladio and Noctis were already gone.

Grabbing a firm hold of Prompto, Ignis swallowed hard and pulled him away from the chasm that had taken the other two, trying not to let his hands shake too badly. He could hear Gladio calling out, but even that only slightly calmed his wildly beating heart.

“They’ll be okay,” Ignis murmured, although it was more to reassure himself than Prompto. “We’ll get them back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh when I was playing, i tried to get into Ardyn's car to go to the Disc and he shot me down by saying I couldn't afford the fare...it was creepy...


	7. Titan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo, I'm back! Long story short, got a new job, moved across the world, took some time to settle in. Hopefully I can start posting a little more regularly now.

“Hey, question.”

“...Prompto, is this _really_ the time?” Throwing a dagger at the nearest creature, Ignis ducked out of the way while Prompto lined up a few shots over his shoulder.

“Eh, these guys aren’t too tough,” Prompto said, although his eyes went wide when a massive tremor caused him to stumble. Reaching a hand out, Ignis snagged him by the elbow and tugged him upright, shaking his head as Prompto just grinned widely.

“We’re fine,” Prompto said, “And they’re fine too. You think Gladio would let anything happen to Noct?”

The fact that they could still summon their weapons meant that Noctis was alive, but that basic standard left a few too many horrible possibilities for Ignis’ liking. He didn’t even have that much indication about Gladio’s well-being, though, and adrenaline was basically the only thing keeping his fear at bay.

“Let’s keep moving,” Ignis said in lieu of anything else to say. Picking their way down the crater was slow-going, punctuated by fights against the vicious creatures that had been left unchecked in the Disc for too long; with the sounds of the Niflheim forces approaching _and_ the Astral shaking the earth, Ignis was feeling more and more anxious as the minutes ticked by.

Gladio was beyond capable, and Noct had grown into a truly capable young man, but if it came down to it, could the two of them handle an army _and_ a god?

Thankfully they soon hit a relatively open plain, with no creatures in sight, and Ignis took a moment to survey the best way further down into the Disc, able to think a little clearer without worrying about being ambushed.

“Okay, can I ask _now_?” Prompto said, shaking Ignis’ concentration.

“Hmm?” Ignis replied distractedly, and Prompto apparently took that as permission to continue.

“I just wanna know how you and Gladio do it.”

Ignis was glad that he’d slowed his pace a little, because he stumbled at that and he didn’t think he could blame it entirely on Titan’s discontent. “How we do _what_ , exactly?”

“How you guys keep your, y’know, relationship a secret.”

Skidding to a total halt, Ignis whirled around to stare disbelievingly at Prompto, who hurriedly pulled up short to avoid slamming into Ignis.

“Whoa! Sorry dude, like, I don’t care what you guys do, I know we’re not meant to know and that’s your own business. But you guys are _really_ good at keeping things low-key, I see the way you look at each other sometimes but if Noct hadn’t told me about you, I’d never have guessed.” Prompto shrugged, looking so painfully earnest that Ignis didn’t even know where to start.

“Noctis?”

“Yeah!” Prompto said. “He said he walked in on you two hooking up in the training room once, and then you got all defensive on him when he asked about it.”

“I- We’re not- We _weren’t_ -” Ignis spluttered, his cheeks beginning to go a little red as he remembered that long-ago day when Gladio had caught him during their spar. They _hadn’t_ been ‘hooking up’, of course, but what it must have looked like from Noctis’ angle... “I’m not having this conversation right now.”

“Okay, but you guys stare at each other a _lot_ , you know? Might wanna work on that.”

“ _Not_ the time,” Ignis said through gritted teeth, immediately taking off in the direction of a path he thought he saw. Prompto caught up to him fairly quickly, and _of course_ even running couldn’t stop him from being able to hold a conversation.

“Look, I just wanna know some tips. I thought _really_ hard about what you said but...I love Noct, and he loves me. I’m not an afterthought, and I don’t want to lose him even if we’ve gotta be sneaky about it.”

For a moment, Ignis’ heart ached for Prompto, thankful that his own situation wasn’t _quite_ as complicated; but he couldn’t give Prompto the wrong impression.

“Gladio and I aren’t dating.” The words were harder to say than he’d expected, but Ignis forced himself to focus on the path ahead of them. He could hear guttural roars in the distance, and he hoped that meant they were getting close.

“But Noct said-”

“His Highness is mistaken,” Ignis said flatly, spotting something four legged and dangerous prowling behind a nearby rock formation. The distraction was welcome as he summoned his daggers, the familiar thrill of magic another reminder that Noct was _still alive_. Really, what was Prompto thinking, bringing all of this up now?

But he’d known Prompto for long enough that he recognised an attempt to focus on something else and not panic, and a quick glance to the side showed him the open distress on Prompto’s face, even as he took aim and shot at the creature before it could attack them.

The fight was an easy one, Ignis putting his mind into keeping track of the movements of both friend and foes, and soon the pack was eliminated after barely leaving a scratch on them. Prompto’s celebration was subdued, though, and Ignis swallowed down his pride as he saw Prompto’s growing anxiety begin to take a toll.

“If I _did_ happen to be in a secret relationship, here is what I would do.”

The distraction worked and Ignis let Prompto blabber on as he would, only occasionally adding in comments to keep him occupied. The tremors were getting worse as they kept picking their way down the rocky terrain, and the roaring was getting so loud that Ignis’ ears were beginning to hurt.

Circling around a towering wall of crumbling rock, Ignis barely restrained himself from shouting with relief as he saw Gladio and Noctis below them, along with the towering form of Titan. Prompto had no such reservations, letting out a joyful yell and immediately launching himself off the lip of the incline separating them from Noctis and Gladio.

It wasn’t the path Ignis would have chosen, but Prompto skidded down with little hassle and Ignis didn’t want to leave them fighting without full power for long. The Empire hadn’t arrived yet, but he didn’t doubt that they were close by, and he couldn’t say for certain that this wasn’t an attempt to knock them and Titan out together.

Grimacing for a moment over the fact that he was too proud to have worn shoes more suited to sliding down rock formations, Ignis followed Prompto down to the battleground. His heart was in his throat as he watched Titan’s gigantic arm swipe towards Noctis and Gladio, but Gladio leapt out of the way and Noctis warped through it with ease.

Still, he felt useless as he ran towards the battle, still too far away to help. A burst of speed put him just behind Prompto, and it was almost a relief when he could summon his daggers and jump headlong into the fray.

“Did you miss us?” Prompto called, and although the other two didn’t take their eyes off the battle, it was as if the energy in the crater changed completely.

“Apologies,” Ignis called out, skidding up behind Noct to help him chip away at Titan’s arm. Noctis just grunted, warping further up Titan’s arm to try and find a weak spot, but the tides had turned with the four of them together and they all knew it. Things might have been different had the Empire forces aimed at them instead of Titan, but whatever Ardyn had done seemed to be keeping them safe.

In the end, they probably could have won without the Empire’s interference, and Ignis probably would have preferred it that way; they were indebted now, especially after Ardyn- _Imperial Chancellor Izunia_ , Ignis reminded himself- had rescued them from a horrific, fiery death at the bottom of the Disc.

The ride in the airship was tense, with Ignis and Gladio firmly planting themselves between the prince and Ardyn. If anything, Ardyn seemed to find it hilarious, planting himself right next to Gladio and getting uncomfortably close to him.

“Why, you’re all so _distrustful_ ,” Ardyn said mockingly, after leaning close to Gladio just to watch him pull back in disgust. “Surely your opinion of me lifted after we all slept together and emerged unscathed.”

“Gross,” Prompto mumbled, and Ignis had to agree. He had heard that the Imperial Chancellor was a little strange _,_ but he had never expected someone like Ardyn to be such an important figure in the Empire.

“Now, young Prompto,” Ardyn said, and Ignis felt Prompto shudder where he’d pressed himself against the safety of Ignis’ side. “You’ll hurt my feelings, speaking like that.”

Prompto went to say something undoubtedly insulting back, but Gladio’s hand over his mouth immediately muffled him before he could. Ignis was glad that he and Gladio seemed to be on the same wavelength: antagonising the Chancellor was _not_ a good idea. After everything they’d been through, being slaughtered on an Imperial airship would have been such a waste of their efforts.

At least Noctis was just sitting there, sullen and silent, ignoring all of Ardyn’s attempts to converse with or irritate him. He looked tired and sore, and Ignis wanted nothing more than to find a warm bed and put him in it.

Thankfully Ardyn seemed to get bored of their non-reactions, eventually signalling to the pilot as the airship began its descent.

“Here will do,” Ardyn said as the big door slid open, revealing a small plain of land surrounded by thick forests. “Off you go.”

Not willing to risk hesitating and losing their chance to leave, Ignis hustled everyone off the ship and back to solid ground, Ardyn thankfully staying on the lip of the open hatch.

“Where’s our car?” Gladio asked once everyone was safe and accounted for, and Ardyn’s face twisted into a mockery of concentration, tapping at his chin with his index finger.

“You know, for the life of me, I simply can’t remember.”

“You-” Gladio growled before he thought better of it, Ignis placing a reassuring hand on his arm lest he do something stupid.

“Sorry,” Ardyn called, making an exaggerated shrugging motion as the door of the airship slid shut before him. They watched as the airship took off once again, keeping a close eye on it until it was no longer even in sight; but there were no other ships in the area, and they slowly had to admit that they seemed to have been genuinely _helped_.

“Dammit,” Gladio muttered, kicking at a rock on the ground. Noctis seemed to be swaying slightly on his feet, and Prompto didn’t look much better; Ignis was just glad that his phone had survived the battle, and immediately took to trying to get a GPS signal. It was a little difficult in such a remote area, but by utilising Gladio’s greater height and reach he eventually managed to connect for long enough to get a read on their location.

“There appears to be a campsite approxima-”

“Gear’s in the Regalia,” Gladio interrupted, and Ignis swore under his breath. The adrenaline from the battle and their interactions with Ardyn was wearing off, and he was beginning to feel a little lightheaded.

“The closest station is a two hour walk at best. Can we make it?” Thankfully Ardyn had dumped them in Duscae and not somewhere more remote, but it still wasn’t an ideal situation.

“We’re gonna have to,” Gladio said, turning to Noctis and Prompto. “C’mon, kiddos. We gotta get there before dark.”

Although it probably wasn’t the smartest idea, Gladio and Ignis let the other two walk ahead of them, ready to catch them if the exhaustion became too much and protecting them from an ambush from behind.

“That was a tough one,” Gladio eventually said in a quiet voice, the eerie silence of their trudge finally getting to him. The other two didn’t seem to hear anything, and Ignis just hummed in agreement.

“I was beyond petrified when you both fell into the chasm.”

“I jumped,” Gladio said, quiet but easy. “I saw Noct fall and I just...jumped. Didn’t even know if there was anywhere safe to land, but I couldn’t let him go alone.”

Bile rose in Ignis’ throat, his fists clenching at his side. He _knew_ that their duty was to Noctis first, and he appreciated that; but he’d come so close to losing both of them, and the knowledge was agonising.

Gladio was _meant_ to put his own life on the line in place of Noctis, and Ignis would have to stand by and watch it happen.

He knew all this, of course he did. He’d accepted long ago that his own life was secondary to that of the prince. But for whatever reason, the prospect of losing Gladio had never seemed so real, and it _hurt_.

“Hey,” Gladio said, pulling Ignis out of his thoughts by brushing his fingers against Ignis’ clenched fist. “We’re all okay. I’m not gonna let anything happen to any of you.”

_But what about you_ , Ignis thought, even as he let his hand relax against Gladio’s. They weren’t holding hands, not quite; it was more of a not-so-coincidental brushing as they walked, but Ignis welcomed the sensation. Thankfully the other two were too tired to turn around, too focused on putting one foot in front of the other to care about what was going on behind them.

Then again, Ignis remembered, it wasn’t as if they would think anything odd of how close Ignis and Gladio were walking. Noctis thought they were _dating_ , and Ignis didn’t think that Prompto had really believed his denials.

Still, maybe they _were_ dating. There had been no time for them to discuss the developments in their relationship, not with crisis after crisis taking their attention, and so Ignis wasn’t sure what Gladio thought they were doing.

_It would be...nice to date Gladio_ , Ignis thought. It would be better if their home weren’t destroyed and their families dead, but Ignis had thoroughly compartmentalised those emotions away until they could be safely examined.

If the time for that never came, well, then Ignis would just ignore them completely. He had other things to worry about, being the safety of his friends and his maybe-boyfriend.

It was all a little too confusing to think about, and Ignis was glad when the Coernix Station appeared in the distance, signalling safety and beds and food. He didn’t even blink at the expense of the trailer, nor of the slightly ridiculous bill the four of them racked up at the diner. They had no car, were missing most of their equipment, and didn’t even know where to begin with finding them; but they were alive.

They were alive, and Noctis had won an Astral’s favour, and Gladio was smiling at him with tired but sincere eyes.

And if, after Noctis and Prompto had entered the trailer and fallen straight into their beds, Gladio snagged Ignis’ arm before he could follow and wordlessly wrapped him up in a tight, lingering hug, that was their own business.

Ignis slept soundly that night, exhaustion keeping the dreams at bay until first light began to shine across Duscae. He stayed in bed, though, watching as his favourite people got their desperately needed sleep.

They were already going to have to take a few hunts to fill their wallets; a few hundred more gil for breakfast at the diner wasn’t going to make much of a difference, and Ignis wasn’t even sure what he could make without any of his equipment.

Mostly, though, he just thought that they all deserved the rest. The search for the Regalia could wait an hour or two.


	8. Misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, appearing seven months after I said I'd be able to update more often: I CAN EXPLAIN

“A weak shield protects naught.”

Ignis, caught in place between _needing_ to help Noctis and not wanting to take his eyes from Ravus for even a moment, held onto his prepared posture, ready to spring into action in an instant. But, he told himself as he cursed his own inability to _do something_ , Noctis was safely behind Gladio, whose heavy sword was materialising to protect them both from Ravus’ attack.

Gladio was the steadiest, strongest shield Noctis could have hoped for, and even the High Commander of the Imperial Army would surely struggle to best him in a one-on-one swordfight.

And then Gladio’s knees began to buckle under the force of Ravus’ sword.

Ignis’ brain _screamed_ for his body to move, to attack from the side while Ravus was focused on Gladio; but the shock and strain on Gladio’s face resonated deep in the pit of Ignis’ stomach, and he realised with dawning horror that this was what _real_ fear felt like.

Still stuck in place, he could only watch as Ravus flung Gladio’s sword- and his last chance for protection- out of the way before pivoting his stance, moving faster than a human should have been able to.

The sharp blade and Ravus’ apparently overwhelming strength made short work of Gladio’s body as Ravus shoved his sword into Gladio’s abdomen, Gladio letting out a choked wheeze as Ravus forced the blade up and out.

“ _NO!_ ” Ignis shouted, finally stumbling over his feet and heading for Ravus, his daggers appearing in his hands. But Ravus simply swatted him aside with his free hand, as if Ignis was no more of a threat than a simple housefly, and Ignis hit the ground at the same moment that Gladio fell to his knees.

There were gunshots in the background and the sky darkened with a sudden storm as Noctis’ rage called forth the power of Ramuh, but it was too late. Ravus’ second strike went straight through Gladio’s throat, and even before the third went into his heart, Ignis knew that not even a phoenix down could bring him back.

The rumbling thunder and cracks of lightning that heralded Ramuh’s arrival on the battlefield rang in Ignis’ ears, but he could hear something pathetic and broken underneath it and for a moment he thought it was Prompto.

But Prompto screaming couldn’t explain the raw agony in his own throat, and Ignis slowly realised that he was the one making those horrific noises- and he couldn’t get them to stop. A bright bolt of lightning cut through the Astral-created darkness, and as Ignis saw Gladio’s slumped body in a rapidly-growing pool of blood, his broken voice cracked and gave out.

Ignis gasped as his eyes flew open, tears pouring down his face and obscuring his view in the darkness. For a moment he couldn’t remember where he was: The Citadel? His apartment? But those were both gone, presumably utterly destroyed by the Empire’s attack.

Wiping at his wet eyes, he slowly adjusted to the darkness, seeing the familiar fabric of Gladio’s beloved tent above him. As he sat up, he could just make out Gladio beside him, still and quiet but entirely alive. In reality, Ravus had hit him with the blunt end of his sword, sending him crashing back into the Regalia but not fatally harming him.

And Ardyn had stopped it from going any further, saving them _again_.

Ignis was tired and frustrated and sad, and the lingering edges of his nightmare had him reaching for Gladio’s wrist, feeling his slow, steady pulse beating underneath his skin. He obviously wasn’t thinking clearly, because the gentle touch still had Gladio grumbling quietly, his eyes fluttering open.

“Iggy?” Gladio mumbled, shifting his wrist from under Ignis’ fingers and curling his hand around them instead, rubbing his thumb against the back of Ignis’ hand. “You okay?”

“Yes,” Ignis whispered, not wanting to bother anyone more than he already had. “Go back to sleep.”

“You?” Gladio grunted, but his eyes were already closing. Ignis briefly considered leaving the tent for some fresh air, but he knew that Gladio would wake up and come after him the moment he did. Ignis didn’t want to ruin his sleep, and so he settled back down to at least _look_ like he was going to sleep.

He didn’t think he’d be able to, but he could pretend for Gladio’s sake.

“...Iggy,” Gladio said, and he felt a tug on his hand. “C’mere.”

“I-” Ignis said, cutting himself off. With all the stress of finding the Regalia, they still hadn’t found a chance to talk about _them_ , and Ignis was hesitant to rely on Gladio too much. Just in case.

“Iggy, help me sleep.”

Hesitating, Ignis looked over Gladio to the others. They were both sound asleep, and Prompto was sprawled over Noctis as if he were a mattress. He still didn’t feel entirely comfortable with broadcasting _Ignis-and-Gladio_ to the world, but the other two already thought they were dating. Surely they wouldn’t even bat an eyebrow if…

Still a little shaky, Ignis shuffled towards Gladio, unable to resist the temptation of those strong, _living_ arms. He let Gladio roll them both over, back-to-chest with Gladio’s arm hooked soothingly around Ignis’ waist.

“Thanks,” Gladio muttered, briefly pressing his lips against the back of Ignis’ head. It really should have been the other way around, but Ignis figured that Gladio knew that. Gladio _never_ needed help to fall asleep, as long as they were somewhere vaguely safe and he was vaguely horizontal.

(Ignis had lost count of how many times he’d glanced in the rear-view mirror just to find Gladio and Noctis asleep in the back seat, their legs tangled up on the seat between them.)

“Thank _you_ ,” Ignis said quietly, and Gladio just hummed into his hair.

Although Ignis had already resigned himself to not sleeping any longer thanks to the horrible images at the front of his mind, he found himself waking up with the morning light, not quite sure when he’d actually fallen asleep. Gladio was still curled around him, but if he stirred while Ignis slipped out from his grip, he quickly got over it and went back to sleep.

Ignis didn’t want to leave, but preparations were needed before they faced the long drive to Lestallum ahead of them, now that the Regalia had been safely retrieved.

* * *

When Gladio announced that he wouldn’t be joining them on their search for the mythril, Ignis quietly assumed that it was related to the fear that had been on Gladio’s face when he’d realised how close Iris had come to being killed by the Empire.

Ignis couldn’t judge him for that, not when he was having nightmares about Gladio dying at the hands of Ravus Nox Fleuret.

So he bit his tongue when Gladio avoided telling the group why he was leaving, simply nodding as Noctis accepted the news with far more grace than Ignis expected. If Gladio wanted to ensure his sister’s safety, or even if he felt that they needed time to mourn their father, then Ignis was willing to temporarily take up the mantle of Shield.

It wasn’t necessarily entirely correct according to procedure, but Ignis supposed that their entire trip was now far from the bounds of what they _should_ have been doing. So even if he felt worry gnawing at his gut at the thought of going on without Gladio, Ignis simply put the feeling down to unjustified paranoia and went about getting everyone settled in at Cape Caem.

It was quite a bit later on when he finally managed to get Gladio alone, following Iris’ instructions to discover him sitting out in the sun near the lighthouse. Gladio turned to smile at him as he heard Ignis approaching, but Ignis could see the tension in it.

“Iggy,” Gladio said softly, patting the ground next to him and waiting as Ignis took his invitation to sit down. “What’s up?”

Taking a moment to compose his thoughts, Ignis swallowed down the urge to lean into Gladio’s side. Even if Prompto and Noctis thought that they were doing _more_ than they actually were, Iris and the others were still in the dark, and Ignis could only handle having so many serious discussions at once.

“You’re not joining us,” he eventually said, and he heard Gladio quietly sigh.

“No, I’m not.”

“Why?”

Reaching out, Gladio tried to link his hand with Ignis’, but Ignis steadfastly kept his fist clenched tight. But Gladio seemed unruffled, and he let the tips of his fingers rest against the back of Ignis’ gloved hand. “Like I said, I have something I need to take care of.”

“Is it Iris? You know that you can tell us if you want to spend more time with her, right? We can spare another day or two-”

“It’s not that,” Gladio interrupted, and Ignis slowly closed his mouth. “It’s...it’s nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, Gladio.” Ignis _knew_ Gladio. He knew that Gladio felt things too deeply to be a good liar, that his emotions were almost always splashed across his face for anyone who cared to actually _look_. If Gladio thought that something was important enough to leave Noctis’ side for, then Ignis was willing to accept it, but he didn’t appreciate having Gladio lie to his face.

Obviously it wasn’t _nothing_.

“Why are you on my back about this?” Gladio said, his calm voice making Ignis twitch more than an angry tone would have. “Noct already okayed it, and as much as I hate to say it, he’s technically in charge here.”

“Is it so bad to want to know _why_ you’re leaving us?” Leaving _me_ , he didn’t say, but they still hadn’t exactly had time to talk about the true state of their relationship. As much as he wished it wasn’t true, Gladio didn’t actually owe him anything.

“I can’t talk about it. It’s only a couple of days, Iggy. You’ll be fine.”

“Can’t talk about it, or _won’t_ talk about it?” Ignis knew he was being irrational. He could feel his anger, the anger he usually kept such good control over, boiling through his veins. But Gladio could have _died_ , and all Ignis wanted was reassurance that he wasn’t planning on doing something stupid or dangerous.

The fact that they were all in constant danger didn’t register properly in his mind, his rational thoughts kept at bay by the gory images his brain liked to conjure up while he slept. When Gladio was right there next to him, Ignis knew that he was safe.

But if Gladio _wasn’t_ there…

“Both,” Gladio snapped as he drew his hand back to himself, and Ignis saw the same fire in his eyes that he could feel in his own body. “It doesn’t concern you.”

“Gladiolus, you’re my…” he trailed off, throat closing around the word _boyfriend_. Gladio wasn’t, not really, and it was obvious that Gladio could see the indecision playing out on his face.

“What was that, Ignis? I’m your what? Someone to fuck around with while you’re taking a little break from your _real life?_ ”

“What?” Ignis said, dumbfounded. “Gladio, no, I-”

“You seemed pretty sure about nothing on this trip being real when you were talking to Prompto,” Gladio spat, and with dawning horror Ignis realised that he could see more than a little hurt underneath Gladio’s anger. If Gladio had been stewing on that for so long, even as he let Ignis hug him and pull him aside for secret kisses, then no wonder he was finally exploding.

“I was fine with not being serious when you looked like you needed some affection,” Gladio continued, Ignis too horrified to interject. “We’ve gotta do all we can to help each other, right? But don’t act like you own me when you’ve taken my feelings and decided that they’re _not real_.”

“I didn’t mean-” Ignis started, but Gladio just glared until he went quiet. The lid was off, now, and Ignis wasn’t sure that there was any putting it back on. He hadn’t meant his words like _that_ , of course he hadn’t, but how was Gladio supposed to know that?

“You sure sounded like you were speaking from experience,” Gladio said, and he pushed himself to his feet. “Go get that mythril, Ignis. I’ll talk to you later.”

Ignis bit his lip as he watched Gladio make his way back to the house, his heart pounding and his stomach feeling like a bottomless pit of regret and worry. He faintly suspected that Gladio’s attitude was born more from stress and grief than from his true feelings, but it still pained him to know how badly he seemed to have hurt Gladio.

He would give Gladio the rest of the day to sort himself out, and Ignis would seek him out in the morning. After a good meal and a rest, their heads and hearts would be in a much better place to work through their misunderstandings.

No more vague notions of being _together_. If Gladio would have him, then Ignis would happily ask Gladio to be his partner in more than just battle. It truly didn’t matter why Gladio was planning to leave them, as there had to be a reason why he wasn’t willing to explain.

They were both emotional and on-edge, but Ignis was determined to fix it before it could get worse.

* * *

He rose early the next morning, quickly composing himself and his appearance before quietly moving to the room that Gladio had been placed in. The house was big enough for everyone to have their own room, a rare luxury that certainly didn’t feel that way when Ignis’ usual nightmare had decided to strike.

Alone and unwilling to bother anyone else for help, much less the man who still might have been mad at him, Ignis didn’t find himself getting that much sleep in the end. Still, he was determined to make up with Gladio before they parted, wanting to apologise for being so unclear about his own feelings and needing to make things right.

Even if they weren’t physically together, Ignis wanted Gladio to know that he was…

Well, Ignis supposed, that he was _loved_.

He frowned when he saw that the door was open, and a brief glance around showed that Gladio was nowhere in sight. Still, it was entirely possible that Gladio hadn’t slept well either and had decided to go out for a run, so Ignis left the room and made his way down the stairs.

He was surprised to see Iris and Monica in the kitchen, and he could only wonder why they were already prepping for breakfast. He couldn’t forget his manners, though, and so he politely nodded at them both. “Good morning.”

Their returned greetings were cheery, even if Iris’ smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, and Ignis walked closer to stand beside the counter. “Have either of you seen Gladio? I need to speak to him, but he’s not in his room.”

“Well, yeah,” Iris said, turning to face Ignis with her head tilted. “He left at first light, like he was planning. Did you forget?”

“Ah,” Ignis said, and he felt that the two sets of eyes on him were seeing far more than he wanted them to. “Of course. It must have slipped my mind.”

“Well, do you want some breakfast? We got up early to see him off, so we figured we’d start cooking now.” Iris didn’t sound like she entirely believed him, but it was just like her to put a smile on and act like everything was fine. It was a trait that he usually greatly appreciated, and it was a nice change to have someone else cooking for him, but the sudden nausea in his stomach made the idea of food seem positively repugnant.

“No, thank you,” he said, trying to keep his emotions entirely out of his voice. “I think I need to...clean out the Regalia before we move on. If you’ll excuse me?”

Not waiting for an answer, Ignis gathered the keys from where he’d left his jacket hanging the previous night and disappeared out the door, swiftly walking down the long path to the road. The Regalia was already perfectly clean, but as he shut and locked the door behind him, the tinted windows gave him privacy as he let his forehead rest on top of the steering wheel.

Gladio was gone, and Ignis didn’t know _where_. He probably still thought that Ignis was toying with him, and Ignis couldn’t say for sure that they would ever get a chance to patch up their relationship.

He’d always thought, however unreasonably, that nothing could ever take Gladio down. He was only human, certainly, but he never really seemed that way. And then Ignis had seen him fall at the hands of another, only saved by the timely appearance of the Chancellor.

Now, with Gladio out _somewhere_ on his own, Ignis could only imagine the horrible fates that might befall him, and they would never even know about it.

**Author's Note:**

> [Come talk to me on Tumblr](http://socialdegenerate.tumblr.com)


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